PRAYERS 



THE USE OE FAMILIES, 



CHIEFLY SELECTED 



FROM VARIOUS AUTHORS; 



A PRELIMINARY ESSAY; 



TOaETHER WITH 



% iBUrtinit nf Iqmna. 



BY ALBERT BARNES. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT iSz. CO. 

1850. 






Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1849, by 

THOMAS, COWPERTHWAIT & CO., 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for 
the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



STEREOTYPED BY J. FAGAN. 
PRINTED BY SMITH AND PETERS. 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



The following Selection of Prayers and 
Hymns, has been made for the aid of those 
heads of families who believe family devotion 
to be a duty, but who are deterred from it by 
diffidence, or by supposed want of ability. In 
the Preliminary Essay I have endeavoured to 
show the importance of the duty, and to meet 
the usual excuses made for neglecting it. One 
of these excuses is the plea of the want of abil- 
ity. To meet that, as far as lies in my power, 
has been the main design of this selection. In 
meeting it, free use has been made of all the 
helps to family devotion within my reach. Al- 
terations have been made where they were 
deemed to be desirable, and especially made to 
render the prayers as simple and direct as pos- 
sible. A few additions have been made to adapt 
them to our times, and especially to Sunday 
Schools, and to the great efforts of Christian 
benevolence to fill the earth with the gospel. 

(V) 



VI ADVERTISEMENT. 

These additions are indicated at the beginning 
and the end by a small asterisk. And as praise 
may be made a most important and interesting 
part of family devotion, a selection of Hymns 
has been added especially adapted to this de- 
sign. As no such selections came within my 
reach, I have made this from various authors, 
and in the best manner that I was able, with 
the helps to which I have had access. The 
Selection has been made from the "Church 
Psalmody," by Messrs. Mason and Green ; from 
the General Assembly's Psalms and Hymns; 
the " Village Hymns ;" " Sacred Lyrics," by Mr. 
Beman; Dr. Dwight's Psalms and Hymns; and 
Hymns by Dr. Alexander. The book is com- 
mitted to the blessing of God, with the prayer 
that it may be one of the aids by which the 
great ends of the family organization may be 
secured ; and a means by which the worship of 
God may be extended and perpetuated amidst 
the families of this land. A. B. 

Philadelphia, January, 1850. 



CONTENTS. 



Preliminary Essay . .Page 13 
Morning and Evening Prayers. 

First week 50 

Second week 88 

Third week 122 

Fourth week 156 

Fifth week 188 

Prayers and Thanksgivings for 
Particular Occasions, 

Last Evening of the Old Year 216 
First morning of the New 

Year 219 

For Christmas Day (Morn- 
ing) 223 

For Christmas Day (Even- 
ing) 225 

For a Sacrament Sabbath 

(Morning) 228 

For a Sacrament Sabbath 

(Evening) 230 

Fast Day (Morning) 233 

(Evening) 236 

In Time of Pestilence 239 

For Rain 239 

For Fair Weather 240 

Under Family Affliction ... 241 



For a Sick Child 245 

Under Dangerous Sickness . 246 

For One Dying 248 

The Evening after a Fune- 
ral 249 

Mourning for the Loss of 
Relatives and Friends ... 251 

The Seasons — 

Spring 253 

Summer 254 

Autumn 254 

Winter 255 

For a Day of Thanksgiving 

(Morning) 256 

For a Day of Thanksgiving 

(Evening) 258 

Thanksgiving for Rain after 

a Drought 261 

For Fair Weather after Rain 261 

For a Good Harvest 261 

For the Restoration of Plenty 262 
For a Safe Return from a 

Journey 263 

For Recovery from Sickness 263 
Prayers at Table 264 



INDEX TO THE HYMNS. 



Morning Hymns 269 

Evening Hymns 277 

Saturday Night 285 

Morning or Evening 286 

Family Religion 288 

Sabbath Morning 293 

Sabbath Evening 300 

For the Beginning of the 

Year 303 

The Close of the Year 305 



The Seasons 307 

The Spread of the Gospel. . 315 

Early Piety 323 

Miscellaneous 328 

The Holy Scriptures 337 

Afflictions and Death 340 

Time and Eternity 346 

The Judgment 349 

Heaven 352 

(vii) 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. 



/\/V\rv/\/\/N/V/N/V>^\/V>/W\A^ 



A 

Again the Lord of life and light Page 297 

All hail, the great Immanuel's name 321 

Am I a soldier of the cross 330 

And must this body die 350 

And now, my soul, another year 305 

Another day is past 279 

Another six day's work is done 295 

Author of good, to thee we turn 29] 

Awake, my drowsy soul 273 

Awake, my soul, and with the sun 270 

Awake, our drowsy souls 297 

B 

Begone, my worldly cares, away 285 

Behold, the morning sun 339 

Blest are the sons of peace 290 

Blest be the tie that binds 289 

Blest morning, whose first dawning rays 299 

C 

Children, to your Creator, God 324 

Cease, ye mourners, cease to languish 340 

Come, dearest Lord, and bless this day 296 

Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove 333 

Come, let us anew 304 

Come, let us join with sweet accord 296 

Come, let us now forget our mirth 325 

D 

Day of Judgment — day of wonders 351 

Dread Sovereign, let my evening song 277 

E 

Eternal God ! I bless thy name 303 

Eternity is just at hand 349 

(viii) 



INDEX OF FIRST LINES. IX 



Father, by saints on earth ador'd 282 

Father of all, thy care we bless 288 

Frequent the day of God returns 300 

From all that dwell below the skies 323 

From earliest dawn of life 324 

From Greenland's icy mountains 318 

G 

God of the morning, at thy voice » 270 

God of my life, my morning song 270 

God of our fathers, by whose hand 291 

God of our lives, thy various praise 306 

Glory to thee, my God, this night 287 

Great God ! my early vows to thee • 247 

Great God, to thee my evening song 278 

Great God ! this sacred day of thine 296 

Great God, we sing thy mighty hand ^ 305 

Great God, whose universal sway 319 

Great God, I own thy sentence just 349 

Great God, at thy command 309 

Great Saviour, let thy power divine 319 

Great Sun of Righteousness, arise 319 

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah 329 



H 

Hail, happy day! thou day of holy rest 295 

Hail, sacred truth ! whose piercing rays 337 

Hark ! the voice of love and mercy 332 

Hark ! that shout of rapturous joy 351 

Hear what the voice from heaven proclaims 341 

Heav'n is the land where troubles cease 354 

Hosanna, with a cheerful sound 287 

How bless'd the righteous when he dies 340 

How blest is our brother bereft 342 

How pleasant 'tis to see 291 

How pleasing is the voice 307 

How precious. Lord, thy sacred word 338 

How shall the young secure their hearts 339 

How short and hasty is our life 346 

How soft the words my Saviour speaks 327 

How still and peaceful is the grave 307 

How vain are all things here below 336 

How vain is all beneath the skies ! , 359 

1* 



X INDEX TO FIRST LINES. 



I 



I long to behold him arrayed 357 

I love thy kingdom, Lord 321 

I love to steal awhile away 302 

I send the joys of earth away , 333 

In all my vast concerns with Thee 284 

Indulgent God, whose bounteous care 279 

Indulgent Father, by whose care 280 

In mercy. Lord, remember me 281 

Inspirer and Hearer of prayer 284 

In this calm impressive hour 299 

Is there a time when moments flow 301 

J 

Jerusalem ! my happy home 356 

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun 320 

Jesus, lover of my soul 334 

L 

Let all the earth their voices raise 320 

Let Zion praise the mighty God 313 

Life is the time to serve the Lord 347 

Lo ! he comes, with clouds descending 350 

Lo ! what an entertaining sight 290 

Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear 293 

Lord, thou wilt hear me when I pray — 285 

M 

My few revolving years 306 

My God, how endless is thy love 286 

My God, accept my early vows 288 

My son, know thou the Lord 325 

N 

Now from labour and from care • 281 

Now in the heat of youthful blood 323 

Now the shades of night are gone 267 

O 

O'er the gloomy hills of darkness 317 

O for a closer walk with God 330 

O for the death of those 345 

O for a sweet, inspiring ray ^ , 353 

O happy soul, that lives on high 359 



INDEX TO FIRST LINES. XI 

O Lord, how many are my foes Page 272 

O Lord, another day is flown 283 

Oh, where shall rest be found 352 

Oh, when shall Afric's sable sons 316 

Once more, my soul, the rising day 269 

Once more my eyes behold the day 247 

On God the race of man depends 312 

On thee, each morning, O my God 287 

On wings of faith, mount up, my soul, and rise 360 

Oppress'd with guilt, and full of fears 338 

P 

Pleasing spring again is here 310 

R 

Religion is the chief concern 326 

Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings 334 

S 

Safely through another week 286 

Salvation, O the joyful sound 330 

Saviour, breathe an evening blessing 282 

Saviour, visit thy plantation 315 

Shine on our souls, eternal God 348 

Show pity, Lord ; O Lord, forgive 331 

Sing to the Lord, exalt him high 313 

Softly now the light of day 280 

Soon as the morning rays appear 293 

Sovereign of worlds above 315 

Sovereign of worlds above 322 

Sovereign of worlds ! display thy power . , , 317 

Stern winter throws his icy chains 311 

Stretch'd on the cross the Saviour dies 331 

Sweet is the scene when Christians die 345 

Sweet is the time of spring 309 

T 

That awful day will surely come 352 

That once lov'd form, now cold and dead 341 

The day is past and gone 280 

Thee we adore. Eternal Name 347 

The flow'ry spring, at God's command 308 

The grave is now a favour'd spot 342 

The Lord is good, the heavenly King 312 

The night shall hear me raise my song 283 

There is an hour of hallowed peace 353 



XU INDEX TO FIRST LINES. 

There is a land of pure delight Page 355 

There is an hour of peaceful rest 356 

The time is short ! Sinners beware 346 

The winter is over and gone 310 

Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love 301 

Thou, gracious Lord, art my defence 272 

Thou, Lord, through every changing scene 292 

Thou that dost my life prolong 271 

Thrice happy souls, who, born of heaven 257 

Thus far the Lord has led me on 277 

'Tis finish'd, the conflict is past 343 

To-morrow, Lord, is thine 348 

To praise the ever-bounteous Lord 311 

'Twas by an order from the Lord 337 

'Twas for my sins, my dearest Lord 331 

W 

Wake the song of Jubilee 322 

We lift our hearts to thee 237 

Welcome, sweet day of rest 294 

Welcome, delightful morn 294 

We've no abiding city here 357 

What are these in bright array , 358 

When bending o'er the brink of life 341 

When blooming youth is snatch'd away 344 

When I can read my title clear 354 

When I survey the wond'rous cross 329 

When, on the third auspicious day 300 

When verdure clothes the fertile vale 308 

While in the tender years of youth 324 

While with ceaseless course the sun 304 

Whilst thee I seek, protecting Power 328 

Who but thou, Almighty Spirit 317 

Why do we mourn departing friends 344 

With humble heart and tongue ., 327 

With songs and honours sounding loud 314 

Y 

Ye lovely bands of blooming youth ^. 326 

Yes, we trust the day is breaking 335 



PRELIMINARY ESSAY 



ON 



FAMILY PRATER. 



TO PARENTS: 

I WISH, in this Preliminary Essay, to make a candid 
appeal to parents on the duty of family prayer. In 
doing this, I shall assume but one thing as a conceded 
point — a thing which may commonly, at least, be as- 
sumed without danger of error. It is, that you feel a 
deep interest in the welfare of your children ; and are 
willing to make use of any proper means to promote 
their happiness. This point I assume, because the God 
of nature has so constituted us, that as a great universal 
rule parents will love their children ; and because no 
small part of their exertions are called forth with ex- 
press, and almost sole reference to their present and 
future bliss. You who are parents, will instantly run 
over in your minds, many most tender and affecting 
scenes of watchfulness, care, anxiety, sleeplessness, and 
toil, to provide for their wants, alleviate their pains, 
defend them from danger, and train them for future re- 
spectability and happiness. The tenderest emotions in 
your bosoms now, relate to them. Your deepest in- 
terest is to see them virtuous, amiable, happy. You 
would run to their relief in danger, and deny yourself 
of ease to alleviate their pains in sickness. Your bright- 
est visions of future bliss in this world are connected 

(13) 



14 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

with their welfare. The loveliest view in the future, is 
when they stand forth, pure and happy, in bold relief, — 
single, or in lovely groups. The chief solace in the 
prospect of your future trials ; in the anticipated days of 
feebleness and pain, and in the imbecility and weariness 
of advancing age ; is that a son will live to bless you by 
his toil, or to cheer your last days by his virtues ; or 
that a daughter, lovely and tender, shall come around 
your bed, and mingle her tears with yours, and catch 
your last breath, and with a gentle hand close your eyes 
as you sink into the long sleep of death. I wish to show 
you that family prayer will be one of the most impor- 
tant helps in meeting your wishes in regard to your 
children. And in doing this, I invite your attention, in 
the 

1st place, to the design of the family organization. 
God might have fitted up a world of independent indivi- 
duals, bound by no common sympathies ; cheered by no 
common joys ; impelled by no common wants. All that 
is tender in parental and filial affection ; all that is mild, 
bland, peaceful in love ; and all that is sympathetic in 
sorrow, and in joy ; might have been denied us. Soli- 
tary beings, we might have wept alone, rejoiced alone, 
thought alone, died alone. The sun might have shed 
his beams around our lonely rambles, and not a mortal 
have felt an interest in our bliss or wo. Man might 
have lived unbenefited by the experience of his ances- 
tors ; and with none to shed a tear around the bed of 
moss on which he would recline in disease, and where 
unwept he would die. But this is not the way which he 
has chosen. He has made the race one great brother- 
hood — and we feel some interest at least, in the ob- 
scurest man that seeks a shelter beneath a rock, or that 
finds a home in a tent, or in a cave. '' I am a man, and 
I regard nothing pertaining to man as unimportant to 
me'' — was the language of an ancient dramatist, and a 
heathen theatre rang with plaudits at the noble senti- 
ment. This great brotherhood God has broken up into 
communities of nations, and clans, and tribes, and fami- 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 15 

lies, and neighbourhoods ; each with its own set of sym- 
pathies ; with peculiar interests ; with peculiar resources. 
One design is, to divide our sorrows by sympathetic 
emotions. Another, to double our joys by imparting 
them to others who sympathize with us. Sorrow hath 
not half its pangs when you can mingle your tears with 
those of a friend; and joy has not diffused half its bless- 
ings until your joy has lighted up the countenance of a 
father, or touched the sympathies of a brother or a 
sister. 

This organization will be seen at once to be eminently 
adapted to religion. On no subject have we so many 
sympathies as in the great business pertaining to our 
eternal welfare. I look on a family circle. What tender 
feelings ! what mutual love ! what common joys ! what 
united sorrows ! The blow that strikes one member, 
reaches all. The joy that lights up one countenance, 
diffuses its blessings over all. Together they bend over 
a sick member; together they rejoice at his recovery; 
or together they bow their heads and weep, and go sad 
to his grave. They are plunged into the same apostacy. 
They are together under the fearful visitations of that 
malady which has travelled down from Paradise lost. 
They are going to a common tomb ; and over the circle 
shines the same sunbeams of hope ; and the same balm 
of Gilead, and the same great Physician may diffuse 
health, peace and salvation there. Cheered with the 
hopes of the same immortality, they may travel to the 
tomb ; and the joy in religion that beams from a father's 
eye, may be reflected from the happy faces of beloved 
sons and daughters. The whole organization is clearly 
one of the most profound and Avise in this world, to 
deepen, extend, and perpetuate the principles of the 
Christian religion. Of this any one may be satisfied 
who will for a moment compare the facilities of deepen- 
ing and prolonging the feelings of religion under all the 
advantages of the family sympathy, compared with what 
it would and must be if the earth were tenanted by 
isolated and independent individuals. God designed the 



16 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

organization with reference to all that is pure, and 
lovely in man ; and in fact he has at all times made the 
family organization one of the most important facilities 
for extending, and perpetuating religious feeling. 

The question now arises, whether the full benefits of 
this organization can be accomplished without the aid of 
family devotion ? In answer to this, you will see at 
once, that the neglect of religion as a family j will be to 
break in upon the whole design of the organization, so 
far as religion is concerned, and to throw every mem- 
ber upon his own individual strength and responsibili- 
ties. That is, to separate religion from all other things, 
and deny it the aid which is rendered to every other ob- 
ject which you wish to promote — the aid derived from 
the sympathies of the domestic alliance, and the endear- 
ments of the family circle. You call in this aid when 
you wish to promote other commendable designs — when 
you would prompt to industry, to learning, to morals, to 
esteem; and you withhold this aid in the greatest and 
most important matter that can ever press on the atten- 
tion of your sons and daughters, and make their religion 
to be a cold, isolated, independent matter, in w^hich they 
receive no sympathy from you; and where they are 
rudely put back from all the tender sympathies which 
divide their sorrows, and joys, in all their other interests. 
We all know the power of alliance and confederation. 
It is the way in which good and evil ever have been, and 
ever must be, propagated in this world. Solitary, un- 
divided efforts avail little, and from the nature of the 
case must avail little. This is understood by all men. 
He who wishes to rouse his countrymen to arms, does it 
by an appeal to the social principle, and seeks con- 
federated talents and valour. Individual and unorga- 
nized efforts would do little in the day when men strug- 
gle for freedom. Hence they seek to pour on the battle 
field combined talent, and organized and compacted 
energy. So in great deeds of evil. The drunkard, the 
profligate, the infidel, the pirate, seeks alliance and de- 
sires confederation in the enormous deeds of guilt which 



ON FAMILY THAYER. 17 

are contemplated and planned. In the same way, if re- 
ligion is to be spread, it must be by the same alliance 
and confederation. It must be by bringing combined 
powers to act on combined ills and dangers. It is de- 
signed to be done by calling in all the aid of the family 
confederation ; by appealing to all the authority and 
venerableness of a father ; the tender love of a mother ; 
the silken cords which bind sons and daughters in com- 
mon love, and in common hopes. This is clearly one 
great design of the organization. Religion brings one 
of the most obvious and plain appeals which can ever be 
made to the family sympathies. It has more that is 
adapted to the family compact ; more that carries for- 
ward the tender family sympathies ; and more that will 
consolidate and cement the alliance, than any other sub- 
ject that can be presented to the little community. — Yet 
to secure this, it is clear that it must be primary and 
prominent in the family doings. It must occupy a place 
that shall be obvious and often seen. It must be often 
presented ; and the strength and tenderness of the family 
emotions must be often brought to bear upon it. I 
shall attempt to show that this can never be done with- 
out family prayer. Indeed, it is almost so clear as not 
to admit of argument. The force of the organization — 
the power of all the sympathies in the family, cannot be 
made to bear on it, except by daily acts, in which the 
whole community shall bow with united feelings before 
the God of grace. 

II. I proceed to remark, 2dly, that family worship is 
one of the most direct and obvious means of meeting the 
evils to which the family is exposed. The design of 
the family organization is well understood — at least all 
parents have some great ends which they are endeavour- 
ing to reach by it. Whatever these ends may be, it will 
be assumed that they contemplate education, restraint, 
guidance, defence from danger, preparation for future 
years. You regard your children as exposed to dangers ; 
subject to passions which demand control; liable to 
headlong and dangerous propensities, which need, in the 



IS PRELl^llNARY ESSAY 

earliest years, to be met and restrained. The world is 
setting in upon them even in very early life, like a mist 
from the ocean, with a full tide of influences, w^hich you 
desire to resist. You know^ there are a thousand opin- 
ions and habits among men from which you would gladly 
restrain your children. Pious you may not be ; but you 
would be w^illing to see them walking in the paths of 
wisdom. You know that there are vices to w^hich they 
are exposed ; and they may meet with companions which 
would ruin them ; and that they will soon be beyond 
your control ; and you would throw around them a 
panoply which should shield them from evil. You seek 
that the influence of a father and mother may be pro- 
longed, and live even when you may lie in the grave. 
You would give to yourself a kind of omnipresent influ- 
ence, that your example and precepts at least may speak 
when they are away from you, or when your tongue 
may no more be able to give utterance to the precepts 
of experience, or to the tenderness of parental love. 

Novf contemplate for a moment the influences from 
the world, against which a parent would guard. 

There is, at first, the influence of formed plans and 
employments. The schemes of yesterday travel over 
the night w^atches, and meet them in the morning. They 
are still under the influence of the w^orld which they met 
yesterday. Their schemes may not be complete. The 
world w^hich they s-aw before they retired to rest ; the 
opinions which they heard ; the temptations which they 
met, shall put forth new powder in the freshness of the 
morning. The charm has not been dissolved by the 
slumbers of the night. The forming habits have not 
been crushed, or even slept, w^liile they have sought rje- 
pose. The influence of the world which you feared 
yesterday, will meet them again in the morning. The 
enemy that made advances, did not lose his hold or even 
slumber while they reposed. The ever sleepless foe is 
strengthening his power, riveting the chains, and ma- 
king his prisoner sure. Can there be any way so likely 
to break in upon this influence, as by a solemn presenta- 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 19 

tion in the morning, to the God of grace ; to bring in 
the parental power, and suffer them to see that you are 
influenced by better things ; and to bring down all the 
sacredness of the religious feeling to arrest and annihi- 
late this malignant influence ? 

A second influence from the world, results from your 
own plans, and views, which they see from day to day, 
and with which they are becoming increasingly informed 
and familiar. They see what engrosses your thoughts. 
They know what is in your heart. You are encompass- 
ing them with a set of influences in your family, and 
plans, which is each day determining their views of the 
relative value of objects. If religion has no place — no 
obvious, seen, and prominent place, in those plans, they 
will understand it ; and they will learn what to think of 
it. Let the pleasures of living be all ; or the gains of 
trafiic be all ; or adorning be all ; or the first and last 
energies in your house, and your conversation be to 
grasp the world, and your children will be among the 
first of mortals to comprehend your whole character. 
Other men may learn it slowly. Your children will 
learn it at once. And to-day shall deepen the lesson of 
yesterday, and to-morrow shall write it with the pen of 
a diamond on their hearts. Can there be any way of 
meeting this influence so direct, and decided, as by a 
solemn presentation of them to God, in the morning and 
evening ; and by thus leaving on them the deep fixed im- 
pression, that though engaged of necessity in the world, 
yet that you are not unmindful of better things, and that 
your first and last thoughts are given unto l5od ? This 
act will shed a new influence over all your doings. It 
will teach the child that your worldly plans are not pri- 
mary, or all. It will satisfy him that your toils for gain 
are the result of necessity, and duty ; not of idolatrous 
choice. It will show that religion is the deep voluntary 
preference of your soul ; excited not by selfishness and 
interest, but by love and a conviction of its truth and 
importance ; and though your ardour in worldly achieve- 
ment should be little varied, yet all your efforts will 



20 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

assume to their view a new direction, and put on a new 
aspect. 

A third influence which your children are to meet, that 
needs a guardian power, is that which proceeds from 
other men, and other families — from the nameless at- 
tractions and seductions, that go forth each day from 
the world. Of this you can know nothing definite. 
Your family go forth to encounter you know not what. 
You know not what new and untried scenes of tempta- 
tion they shall meet before the shades of evening descend 
around them. You know not what new baits and allure- 
ments the world shall present, when they are away from 
the watchful parental eye. You know not how attrac- 
tive some form of evil shall appear to them — how it shall 
appeal to youthful passion or dance in delightful vision 
before the mind just awake to the sentiments of pleasure, 
vanity or ambition. Long since you passed through such 
scenes, and you know their power. You felt their dan- 
ger, and you would guard your children from the seduc- 
tive influence. To you of riper years, and wisdom, there 
may be no danger. To them all is fresh, attractive, 
lovely, like the first light of a morning, without mists or 
pestilential vapours. They know not the dangers ; and 
are slow to learn. Still further, you little know what 
companions they may meet with, before the evening. 
The spendthrift, the profiigate, the infidel — the young 
man, profane, flippant, confident, polished yet dissolute ; 
or the aged man skilled in the cunning of unbelief, and 
knowing each avenue to the youthful heart, may meet 
him, and in a moment undo the slow work of parental 
instruction of many years. 

Now I submit it to you, whether there can be any so 
effectual safeguard against this, as family devotion ? I do 
not affirm that it will be infallible. But I ask whether 
any influence can be formed so likely to shield from these 
dangers, as the solemnity of an invocation of the pre- 
sence and blessing of God, and the expectation of a simi- 
lar solemn presentation in the evening. It is a hind of 
familiarizing the mind in early life^ to the judgment seat 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 21 

of Grod. It is a species of arraignment there eacli day 
to suffer His all-seeing eye to rest on each thought and 
deed. That God hears prayer : and that God is every 
where. To him, it is as easy to guard your child when 
away from your roof, as when the eye of the earthly 
father is upon him. That God will see each temptation ; 
mark each alluring influence ; go before each child in the 
hour of danger ; and restrain the power of the tempter. 
He can impress parental precept on the soul ; and when 
the theatre, or the tavern, or the gambling place allures, 
the power of God unseen, can freshen in his memory the 
precepts of a father, and recall the expressed wishes and 
the pleadings of a mother. All the influences in this 
world are under his control ; nor can there be any way 
so effectual of meeting them as to secure the favour of 
that God who can give them a direction to virtue and to 
heaven. Greatly do I wonder, that in a world of temp- 
tations like this, and at a period of life so exposed as 
that of childhood and youth, any parent dare suffer his 
children to go forth into the allurements of a city, or a 
Avicked world, without having once asked the Father of 
mercies to take them beneath his protecting care, and to 
defend them from the ills that may bring ruin into their 
souls; and wo, deep and inconsolable, into your own 
bosom. And much do I marvel, that any parent can send 
them forth upon the ocean of life — amid the billows that 
break around the frail bark, and never seek for them the 
protection of that God who rides upon that ocean. And 
I wonder much that you can fail to implore the help of 
Him, who when your eye shall sleep in death, and the 
child shall walk over your unconscious grave, can stretch 
forth a hand more mighty than yours, and speak with a 
voice more tender than yours, to save him from the 
ways of ruin and despair. And much do I wonder also, 
that there is rest to your pillow, when you have offered 
no sacrifice of praise to God for preserving mercy, and 
sought no protection from Him whose eye never slumbers 
nor sleeps. 

III. I remark, thirdly, that the direct influence of de- 



22 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

votion in obtaining the ends of the family organization, 
may be, and should be incalculably great. I mean the 
influence in all those great interests which you are en- 
deavouring to secure. One of these is family govern- 
ment — a thing, which to be eflScient, must be mild, 
steady, consistent, firm. There are two ways of govern- 
ing a family. One is with the rod of a tyrant, and the 
rage of the furies ; by cold, unfeeling statute, and never- 
ending reproof; by passion, and fire, and wrath. The 
other is by love, and tenderness, and discipline, admi- 
nistered with calmness, and yet with a faithful hand — by 
calling into exercise all that is tender in the social affec- 
tions — all the budding and blossoming ingenuousness of 
the child — by the aid of conscience and of reason — and 
by severity only when other means fail ; and then suffer- 
ing the feelings of the father to be seen, at the same time 
that the firmness of the ruler shows itself to the child. 
The one is modelled on the plan which tyrants choose ; 
the other is the plan of God. The one shuts Grod out of 
view; the other is like him, and borrows its features 
from the Divinity. And this one truth is established, 
and will yet be better known — that the model of a pro- 
per domestic administration is God in his moral govern- 
ment — and is a bringing down the great principles on 
which he acts, to bear on the smaller community over 
which presides an earthly father. Now I think I am 
warranted in afiirming, that no father will be likely 
to embody these principles and express them, without 
prayer. They are not to be possessed without it. No man 
can understand the principles, on which God governs 
men, without that familiarity with him, w^hich results 
from prayer. No man can keep this great plan before 
him, without that close and pressing converse and con- 
tact with God, which exists in solemn devotion. And 
on a father's own spirit, there will be no so happy re- 
straint as that imposed by family intercession. Anger 
and passion, ill become the bosom of the man who has 
just been engaged in a solemn presentation of his family 
to the God of love. And wrath, and anger, flee away, 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 23 

when we know that soon we are to bend together before 
a common altar. 

Besides, there is no way so direct, of giving authority 
and sanction to your commands, as by family devotion. 
Whatever will increase the venerableness of the paternal 
character, will, of course, impress his laws with addi- 
tional sanctions, and power. Now, it is clear to my 
mind, that there can be no way of doing this so effective, 
as by connecting the image of a father in the mind of a 
child, with the sacredness of religion. Let him be re- 
garded by them as the venerable priest of the family, to 
bow before the altar, and speak their wants into the ears 
of God — the converser with the Deity — the invoker of 
heaven's blessings on the community — the venerable 
organ through whom the sought blessings of heaven will 
descend on them, and a sanction is given to his laws and 
opinions, which you will gain in no other mode. It is 
not easy to treat the man with disrespect, who is known 
often to approach the throne of grace ; — sacred by such 
an approach — and who is known to approach that throne 
only to obtain heaven's blessings on us. At all times, 
the ministers of religion have been regarded with re- 
spect, and there is no way so effectual of securing esteem 
in your family, as by suffering it to be seen daily, that 
you are a friend of God — a converser with the Deity — 
and that you are invested not only with the character of 
a father, but with the additional venerableness of being 
the priest of the family, and presenting their wants and 
feelings to the King of kings. 

Thus, too, by your example, you shall correct and ad- 
just their views of the world. More effectually than by 
any lessons, you shall teach them your sense of the value 
of earthly objects. Time, gold, pleasure, cannot be es- 
teemed to be all, when the first and the last thoughts of 
the day are given to God. Nor can your children, in 
advancing years, go forth so easily to the undivided pur- 
suit of gain and pleasure, when they know that a father 
and a mother, at the altar, have expressed their views of 
the value of these things. It will check the wantonness 



24 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

of worldly pursuits ; it will come into the pleasures of 
the ball-room and the theatre, with a chilling influence 
on all those delights, if the thought then crosses the 
bosom of the son or daughter that at this late hour, pa- 
rental feelings are expressed at the family altar, and a 
father and mother bow before God, to implore his bless- 
ing on thoughtless sons and daughters. " I should be 
there," will be the instinctive language of the heart ; " my 
place is not amid these scenes of vanity, when a parent 
seeks God ; and these scenes can afford no permanent 
joy, against whose malignant influence a parent prays, 
and to guard me from which a parent now implores the 
protection of the eye and arm of God/' Such prayers 
are often heard. And even while it is fresh breathing 
from the lips of pious parentage, the serious thought, the 
painful misgiving of the child in the place of pleasure, 
may be already an answer to prayer, and the purpose 
may even then be forming to forsake forever such scenes, 
and seek peace and joy in the endearments of the fire- 
side and of home. Let me add, too, that such amuse- 
ments find their support, with few — few exceptions, 
from the children of families who never pray ; and this 
devotion in all our habitations, would at once close our 
theatres, and no small part of the haunts of vice and 
ruin. 

You will pass, also, into scenes of affliction. You 
will go down into a dark valley, and turbid waters shall 
roll at your feet, and a sunless sky shall be over your 
head. A son, a daughter, may die. Calamity may strip 
away your property; and slander may asperse your 
name; and the waves of trouble may roll high and 
mighty over your habitation. Your pillow may give 
you no rest ; and the deep calamity may spread weeping 
and wo through all your house. In such scenes who is 
he that is to be calm ? Who to stand like Mount Atlas, 
''when storms and tempests thunder on its brow, and 
oceans break their billows at its feet" unmoved? Who 
to allay the swelling tide of grief, and be a counsellor 
and an example there? Who to wipe away the tears 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 25 

from the weeping eyes of children, and pour, under 
God, consolation there? Who but the father at the 
family altar — the venerable guide and friend of the little 
community — he whose heart may bleed like others — for 
he felt the stroke more keenly than all, when his son or 
daughter died; but who still can gather the weeping 
group before God, and calmly say, "not our will but 
thine, God, be done?" And if he cannot do this; if 
he be first in agony, and a stranger to consolation, and 
shall murmur at the stroke, and refuse to be comforted, 
who knows not the effect on the family ? Grief will 
deepen and prolong its reign, and sorrow there shall 
have no comforter. Yet how shall this be done ? Who 
does not see that the habit of daily seeking God, of ac- 
knowledging him in all the ways of the family, is the 
only mode of meeting this grief, and soothing these bit- 
ter pains of life? Family devotion shall change the 
storm to peace, and open a pathway through all these 
clouds ; and beyond the region of these muttering thun- 
ders, in that upper sky, the splendours of an eternal day 
are still seen, and it shall be felt that there is peace. 

I add here, one other remark. There are times when 
your children think — deeply think, of the subject of re- 
ligion. They inquire what they must do to be saved. 
They are pressed with the great truths of eternity, and 
they desire to know the path that leads to immortality. 
Every parent knows that such thoughts are right ; and 
that ih.Qiv first days are their best days, to attend to the 
concerns of the soul. And few are the parents who 
would not express a desire that these serious thoughts 
should ripen into the settled peace and purity of the 
Christian. They are the sweet openings of the buds of 
spring, the putting forth of lovely flowers, and may be 
nurtured to produce a rich harvest of piety. How shall 
this be done ? what will be the most effectual deepener 
and promoter of these feelings ? It is clear that if the 
object of the parent was to secure the ascendency of 
these feelings, no way could be found so effectual as 
daily religion in the family. Let the child see that his 
2 



26 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

seriousness has the countenance of a father and mother 
— that it falls in with their views, and accords with their 
most deep desires — that to cherish these feelings would 
be to pour balm into their bosoms, and to fill their lips 
with praise — that there is an altar for the morning and 
evening sacrifice to deepen them, and there is no earthly 
influence that could be so effectual to ripen these feelings 
into the love of God. It seems to be a power expressly 
organized to accomplish this great work on the soul of 
the child. And on the other hand, let there be no 
family altar, and no sacrifice of praise in the habitation, 
and it is easy to see what is to be the result on the mind 
of a child anxious about his eternal welfare. True, 
he feels, and deeply feels. He prays, he trembles, he 
weeps. He lifts the eye to heaven in a state of deep 
anxiety, and waits for a guide to conduct him to the 
Saviour of men. The world to him is losing its charms. 
Temptation is shorn of its power. Fashion, wealth, and 
splendour, are dimmed of their lustre, and the spirit 
pants for immortality — for brighter peace, — more pe- 
rennial joys than this world can give. What is demanded 
then to fill the whole soul with peace ? What but the 
family altar — the deep seriousness of religion there — 
the pleading father, the bending circle, seeking for com- 
mon salvation ? And if there be no such altar, how cold 
and chill all that influence in a family ! If the world be 
all, and fashion only has its seat there, or wealth is the 
grand object, or a mother's lips invite to the theatre or 
the ball-room, and never speak of prayer ; and a father's 
hand guides only to scenes of gain or ambition, who can 
fail to see the result? How soon all seriousness shall 
disappear ! How soon the Spirit of Grod shall be grieved ! 
How soon a new current will be given to the affections, 
and the Son of God be shut from the view, and the 
Prince of darkness establish again his broken and en- 
feebled reign. Stronger fetters shall bind the captive to 
the chariot of the dark monarch of despair ; and all the 
influence of a family be imparted to prolong his empire 
over the soul. And if to this we add what may^ and 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 27 

does often exist, in a family without prayer, cold and 
cutting remarks about religion; perversion of its doc- 
trines and duties ; derision of the work of God in saving 
man; apparent respect, but real sarcasm, the work is 
done, and the enemy of man has gained his object. The 
most sad narrative, perhaps, that could be penned in this 
world, would be the history of families who have thus 
stifled the serious thoughts of children, and driven back 
by neglect or derision, the Son of God advancing to 
take possession of the human heart. For the wealth of 
the Indies, I would not come into the secret of such 
families ; nor hazard the loss and ruin which might 
accrue to my children in days of seriousness, by the 
neglect of family prayer. There are times when the 
neglect of this plain and obvious duty, may seal the 
character of a child, and mark his course forever on- 
ward in the ways of sin and of hell. 

IV. My fourth argument on this subject will be de- 
rived from the fact, that without family prayer, there 
will he no religious teaching in a family that will he ef- 
fectual. This proposition I maintain by the following 
considerations. 1. The duty of family worship is one 
of the most obvious that strikes a child ; and especially 
if an attempt is made to instruct that child in the prin- 
ciples of religion. Other duties he may not so readily 
understand ; but this is one which is plain and apparent. 
He sees it ; and sees it clearly. There is something so 
unnatural in constantly receiving benefits without ac- 
knowledging them ; in being protected, and provided 
for, from day to day, and week to week, and year to 
year, without any recognition of the kind unseen hand 
that does it, that the mind even of a child cannot but be 
struck with it. If he who experiences a father's and 
mother's tenderness from year to year, should by no act 
express his sense of obligation, he would be conscious of 
something exceedingly ungrateful, and unamiable in his 
character. And he cannot but feel that something of the 
same kind must attach itself to his father and mother. 
Especially is this the case, if you attempt to teach him re- 



28 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

ligion, to show him the duty of thanksgiving to yourself, 
or to God ; and to set before him the evil of ingratitude. 
Vile, and mean, and odious, he may easily be made to see 
ingratitude to be. His natural honesty, and ingenuous- 
ness, may easily be excited to indignation and scorn at 
the base feelings of the recipient of favours, who repays 
them with thoughtlessness and unconcern. But are you 
not, in doing this, teaching him to frame an argument 
against yourself? 'If to be ungrateful be a trait of 
character so unlovely, then why is it that no gratitude 
is expressed to God, amid the many mercies of my 
father's house ? How are Ms teachings about the evil 
of ingratitude in me^ to be reconciled with entire ami- 
ableness in his deportment toward God ? And if he can 
live from year to year, and exercise no gratitude to 
his great Benefactor, then why is my character to be 
esteemed so unlovely if I imitate his example, and re- 
ceive the kindness of my father with cold reserve ; or as 
entitled to few expressions of thankfulness Y And is not 
this the same as to teaeh ingratitude on a large scale, 
and make it the prominent lesson in the house, that 
blessings may be received to any amount from a bene- 
factor, and yet no guilt be incurred by forgetting the 
giver, and rioting on his beneficence without one grate- 
ful emotion ? 

2. Prayer is one of the prime duties of religion. 
There can be no religion without it. You cannot teach 
your children any of the precepts of religion, without 
making this one of them. Perhaps the first lesson 
which you will of necessity teach, will be that it is their 
duty to pray. Yet how can you consistently teach this 
lesson without setting them the example ? If prayer is 
of so much moment, then why should not he who incul- 
cates the lesson, exemplify it also in his family ? And 
what will be the efi^ect of this teaching^ if in the family 
he observes that you are a stranger to devotion ? Can 
it be possible to teach the precepts, or the duties of re- 
ligion, unless it be done in connexion with making them 
prominent and constant, in the arrangements of the 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 29 

household? It Avill be remembered that on no other 
subject do you make such an experiment. You wish to 
inculcate the lessons pertaining to business, or the me- 
chanic arts. You wish to train up the child to habits of 
industry, frugality, and order. You wish to inculcate 
on him the lessons of economy, or the value of polite in- 
tercourse, or of accomplishment. You have but one 
way of doing it. It is by example — by making these 
things prominent — by making them stand forth in all 
your domestic arrangements, so that your views cannot 
but be seen and apprehended. By making ?/c»?a\concep- 
tion of their value manifest to the child, you hope that 
he will be brought to feel as you feel, and be trained up 
so as to be an ornament to your name and family. Re- 
ligion, you attempt to teach on a diiferent principle — to 
acquaint him with the theory, not the practice ; to ex- 
press with the lips what the heart feels not ; and to suf- 
fer the language to teach one thing, which is as regular- 
ly denied by the life. Now what is this but to take 
religion from all its proper connexions, and to make it a 
cold, distant, unmeaning thing ? If I wished to tell a 
man how he could effectually disgust a child with a sub- 
ject, it would be to teach it as he does nothing else : to 
take it out of all the ordinary relations of human things, 
and proclaim with his lips what is known never to bo 
practised in his life. 

3. Your example, without family prayer, will neutra- 
lize all the instructions of religion. If religion is of so 
much importance as you would endeavour to persuade 
him, then the child Avill ask, at once, ' Why does not 
my father exemplify it ? If the world is a trifle, and 
eternity be all, as he tells me, then why do I see his first 
and last thoughts given to that world? Why all his 
time engrossed in the counting room, the office, or the 
ways of pleasure or ambition ? Why is not a portion of 
that time given to that which is pronounced to be of 
such transcendent value ? And if the world be so full of 
temptations, and trials, why does he not implore for me 
the blessing of that God, who I am told, can encompass 



80 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

me, and shield me from danger ? Is it my father's be- 
lief that that God affords protection unasked, and that 
he would not desire to be invoked to grant that defence 
and protection which circumstances of danger and trial 
demand ? And can that be of so much moment which is 
suffered to be broken in upon by the veriest trifle, and 
excluded by any project of pleasure or gain?' 

4. I appeal then to the facts in the case. I appeal to 
those parents who neglect family prayer, whether, in 
fact, they do not neglect the religious training of their 
children, as a matter of regular, sober, faithful arrange- 
ment. Does such instruction come in, in any way, as a 
part of the family organization ? Is it not a fact that you 
see the inconsistency of attempting it without family 
prayer, and that rather than do the one, you choose also to 
neglect the other ? And if so, then I put the matter on this 
broad ground, and urge the duty of family worship, by 
all the importance of the religious training. If it be so, 
that, if the one is neglected, the other will be, then I ap- 
peal to you by all the solemnity of their eternal interests 
— by a reference to their religious character in this life, 
and their eternal doom in the life to come, and ask you 
whether you dare to do a thing which, in its results, is 
to shut religion from your family, and preclude all 
parental religious training in your household? That 
parent who can coolly take a step like that, is advancing 
to meet an account vf hich I humbly pray to God I may 
never be called to render in the day of judgment. 

And this sad neglect has given rise to an abuse of one 
of the noblest institutions of this age — I mean the Sun- 
day School. The parent who is unwilling to teach his 
children for himself, or to pray with them at home, finds 
a salvo to his conscience by devolving the task on others. 
Neglecting his own duty, he attempts to put the onerous 
burden on others; and to find peace in the conviction 
that they will do that which he is conscious he is neglect- 
ing. — In regard to this, I make two remarks. One is, 
that the Sunday School teacher is not, and will not be, 
and cannot be, responsible for your neglect of duty. A 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 31 

burden — if to teach and pray for your own children be 
a burden, has been laid on you by a higher authority 
than any human power; and there is no device, by 
w^hich you can free yourself from the obligation. Giod 
most High^ has clothed you with responsibility, that of 
training up your children in the nurture and admonition 
of the Lord ; — that of exerting the influence of a parent 
to prepare them for usefulness, and for heaven. And 
that is no enviable feeling which attempts to flee from 
the responsibility, and devolve its duties on others. Be- 
sides, the Sunday School teacher has a responsibility of 
his own, quite enough for any human being to endure. 
After you have done your duty, still Ms work is as ar- 
duous as any mortal would willingly undertake. It is 
unkindness to your children, and to such a teacher, to 
ash him to bear your responsibilities. It cannot be 
done. He will not stand at the judgment bar in your 
place; nor will he meet there the doom which awaits 
parental neglect in the family. The other remark is 
this. It is, that one of the prominent efiects of the in- 
structions in the Sunday School, is to teach the duty of 
family devotion. That is a lesson soon learned. And 
your children return to you from those nurseries of 
piety, often deeply feeling, and greatly grieved, that 
their father's house is a place where no God is acknow- 
ledged, and where mercies are ever descending without 
any returns of praise. Each Sabbath shall deepen this 
lesson. And you are not to wonder if the lips of chil- 
dren should sometimes tenderly ask you why so plain a 
duty is neglected ; or if they throw their arms around 
your necks, and intreat you to acknowledge the Grod of 
all your mercies in your habitation. I regard the Sun- 
day School as one of the means prompting to family 
prayer, and not the least of its- blessings do I esteem it 
to be, that it throws an influence back upon your fami- 
lies, and makes your children pleaders for God, and 
prompters to duty, in the business of family religion. 

But while the duty of family prayer appears thus 
manifest and clear, while every parent would probably 



32 TRELIMINARY ESSAY 

admit that he can see the propriety of the duty, and that 
most important benefits would result from its observ- 
ance, yet it has so happened that there is not probably 
any single duty against which so many objections are 
urged as this. To what this fact is owing, it is not now 
necessary to inquire. It may be remarked, however, 
that the fact of the existence of so many objections, is 
no small confirmation of the strength of the arguments 
in favour of family prayer. Men do not commonly in- 
vent and urge objections where a duty is not strongly 
and plausibly pressed. The amount of objection will 
be in proportion to the strength and frequency with 
which the argument is urged. When that occurs daily, 
as in the case of family devotion, where the duty is pal- 
pable and obvious, and yet from any cause there is an 
unwillingness to engage in it, then it is necessary that 
there should be some excuse always at hand, and suffi- 
ciently plausible to turn aside, at least for the present, 
the force of the argument. It is of importance to notice 
these objections. 

The first and most plausible is, that the duty of family 
prayer is not expressly enjoined in the Scriptures. This 
I admit — and having frankly made the admission, let us 
advance to ascertain, if possible, the precise shape which 
this subject assumes in the sacred volume. This will be 
seen by the following observations: — 1. One design of 
law, and especially of laws pertaining to morals, is to 
give general statutes, or injunctions, applicable to all the 
cases which may occur. It is not to specify each case, 
in which business there could be no end — but to advance 
general principles that can be readily understood, and 
applicable to all the cases which may occur. That you 
should relieve your neighbour when he is sick, or defend 
his child when in danger, is not expressly commanded ; 
but the golden rule of the Saviour will meet any number 
of cases of that kind which may happen. To legislate 
about each particular case would be endless. The gene- 
ral rule to do to others as you would wish them to do to 
you, is easy and easily applied to all the instances which 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 33 

may exist. 2. It is not the manner of the Scriptures to 
command a thing which was already in existence, and 
which it was supposed would be performed if there were 
right feeling. Thus, that men should love their chil- 
dren, and provide for them, was assumed without ex- 
press statute, because the very organization of the family 
relation supposed it, and it was secured by a more an- 
cient law than by any express statute. 3. The whol 
subject of prayer was left substantially in this manner. 
There is no injunction to prayer at all in the Scriptures, 
until the world was three thousand years old, nor until 
eight hundred years after the calling of Abraham.* 
Ps. cxxii. 6 ; Jer. xxix. 7. Yet during this time, the 
subject of prayer is not unfrequently mentioned ; and 
the fact is recorded that men did call on God. Gen. 
xxiv. 68 ; Job xv. 4 ; xvi. 17, 15 ; xxiii. 26. 4. There 
is not in the Scriptures any injunction to any particular 
kind of prayer. Thus when secret prayer is mentioned, 
it is not as a command, but as a thing which was prac- 
tised, and which it was assumed would he practised. 
All that was needed in the case, was to regulate the man- 
ner of its performance. Matt. vi. 5, 6. The same is true 
of public worship. The general command to pray is 
given ; the fact is recorded that the church did pray ; 
and regulations are suggested about the proper way of 
performing it. Is it not to be presumed, that the subject 
of family prayer would be left in the same manner ? 5. 
There are injunctions respecting prayer, which imply 
the duty of family prayer as well as any other. Thus 
the command, Eph. vi. 18. Praying always (Gr. in 
every time — or at all times) with all prayer — that is, 
with all kinds of prayer, or offering it on all proper oc- 
casions. 1 Tim. ii. 8. I will that men pray every 
where. Phil. iv. 6. In every thing by prayer and sup- 
plication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made 
known before God. 1 Pet. iv. 7. Be ye therefore sober 
and watch unto prayer. Now if a question should aris'", 

*Dr. D wight. 

2* 



34 PRELIxMINARY ESSAY 

what kind of prayer was contemplated in these places, 
on the principle of the objector it would be impossible 
to determine; or rather the tendency of his objection is 
to nullify the whole precept. He objects that the com- 
mands do not imply the duty of family prayer. They 
do not distinctly specify it, and therefore it is not a part 
of the injunction. For the same reason I may object 
that secret prayer is not commanded here, and as it is 
not specified, it cannot be intended. A third person, 
with the same reason and propriety, shall remark that 
social and public prayer are not commanded, and he 
feels released from that. What is this but to trifle with 
the Scriptures, and to make them unmeaning? If the 
command to pray with all prayer does not imply family 
prayer, it implies nothing and means nothing. 6. The 
duty of family worship — and I may assume that there 
will be no worship without prayer — is often mentioned 
with approbation, and so mentioned as to show that it is 
acceptable to God. Thus of Abraham. I know that he 
will command his children, and his household after him, 
that they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice 
and judgment. Gen. xviii. 19. Thus said Joshua. As 
for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord. Josh, 
xxiv. 15. Thus Job offered daily worship in his house — 
by offering daily sacrifices to obtain the blessing of God, 
and to turn away the divine indignation from his sons. 
Job i. 4. And thus also our Saviour with his apostles, 
and the apostles after his ascension, offered united prayer ; 
expressed their common wants, and commended them- 
selves to the common paternal guidance of God. That 
beautiful model of all proper supplication — the Lord's 
prayer — implies in its very structure that it is to be 
used daily, and in some community like a family. It is 
to be a daily supplication — " give us this day our daily 
bread." It is to be used not by an individual, but by 
a community. '' OuR Father," not my Father — which 
art in heaven. ^'Give US this day" — '^forgive us our 
trespasses" — ^'lead us not into temptation" — "deliver 
us from evil." Yet there is no community that can use 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 35 

this but a family ; none that are together each day, and 
none where the prayer would be so directly adapted to 
the wants of the petitioners, as in a household depend- 
ent on Grod, bowing down before him in the morning to 
ask the supply of their returning wants, and to implore 
protection and defence in the various trials to which the 
household would be exposed. "What a live coal," says 
Dr. Hunter, " is applied to devotion, when the solitary 
my Father and my God, is changed into the social our 
Father, and our God!" 7. God has expressly declared 
his abhorrence of the neglect of family devotion. It is 
given as a characteristic of those who know not God, 
that they call not on his name, and as classifying them 
with the heathen world. Jer. x. 25. " Pour out thy 
fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the 
families that call not on thy name.'' 8. I would only add 
here, that to a parent it would seem that there was no 
duty that less required an authoritative injunction from 
heaven. I would not sit down here to an inquiry into 
the nature of abstract statute and law. I would not look 
for iron enactments, and Gothic and terrific mandates 
here. A parent's love for his children, prompts him to 
do all thai is possible for their welfare. For them he 
toils, he denies himself, he watches around their beds of 
pain. What is there which a mother or a father will 
not sacrifice for the welfare of their children? How 
freely do health, and property, and rest, go to promote 
their peace, and train them for usefulness and felicity ! 
And who, when a child is sick, asks for an iron statute, 
to learn whether he shall send for a physician ? Who, 
when the storm howls, or the flames rage, looks for in- 
exorable law to know whether he shall stretch out his 
arms to aid ? Why is it not so, we ask, in regard to all 
the great helps and blessings that may establish their 
virtue and promote their welfare here, or prepare them 
for glory hereafter ? You, and your children, rise from 
beds of repose, protected by the hand of God. The 
blessings of his providence crown your board, and fill 
your houses with rejoicing. Protected by an unseen 



36 _ PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

arm, raised by unseen power, and blessed by an invisible 
hand, what inexorable law is demanded to induce you, 
with them, to express thanksgiving to your great Bene- 
factor ? You go forth to the duties of the day. You 
know not its temptations, its toils, its dangers. No eye 
can see what unexpected occurrence may meet you — 
what dangers may assail — what temptations may lie in 
your path. Who can crown your .goings with blessings 
but God ? Who can watch over them but his unseen and 
never slumbering eye ? And do we look for statutes to 
hind us to seek his blessing and ask his protecting care ? 
The shades of evening come around you. Again pro- 
tected, defended, shielded, you come into the family cir- 
cle. Peace is there, and health, and cheerfulness, and 
plenty. Do I need a formal law when I go into such an 
abode, and say, here the goodness of God should be ac- 
knowledged ; here it is appropriate that heaven's Eter- 
nal King should listen to the voice of praise, and the 
watchfulness of that eye that never slumbers nor sleeps, 
should be invoked? Your children go into — what? a 
world of peace, and friendship, of virtue, and of joy ? 
no. They tread a vale of sorrow. You have given them 
existence in a dwelling of temptation and of danger. 
Foes, deadly, and malignant, are in their path. The 
most fragrant bower may be the residence of the ser- 
pent, beguiling to destroy. The most lovely glade, the 
fairest path, and most charming stream, may be the 
residence of foes that shall attack their peace, or endan- 
ger their souls. They will be in peril — they will be 
allured, beguiled. Other lips than yours will attempt 
to influence them ; and the guilty and the voluptuous 
may seek to make them their prey. They will weep. 
They will feel — yes, deeply feel, that they are in a cold, 
unfriendly, guilty world. They will be laid on beds of 
pain ; will pant, will struggle, will expire. But one eye 
can mark their dangers or their pains, when you are 
dead. Far away from them in the cold grave, your eye 
will have lost its power to pity, and your hands their 
strength to relieve. Say, parent — father, mother, do 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 37 

we need the formality of law^ the sternness of command^ 
to tell us we must seek the blessing of God on our fa- 
mily ? Is it not the instinctive feeling of every father, 
"May I bend before the God of heaven; and will his 
ear be open : and can I have the assurance that he is 
ready and willing to defend my children?" Cast the 
eye onward. What shall be the doom of your children 
beyond the grave ? Whither shall they wander in that 
undiscovered world ? Shall they repose forever in the 
arms of heaven's King, or shall they be vagrants and 
outcasts, excluded from the place of mercy and of peace, 
and driven away with the polluted and the lost forever ! 
On whom is dependent their eternal doom ? On that 
Being who is to be invoked by prayer. Who alone can 
save them from being cast down into hell ? None but that 
Almighty God, whose blessing you never ask for your 
children, whose protecting care you never seek. 

Now I would only ask of any parent, to look at his 
children with a parent's feeling, and remember they go 
to a world of dangers, and woes ; to inevitable scenes of 
sorrow and of death ; to an illimitable eternity ; and to 
remember that none but the arm of Jehovah can shield 
them; and then to contemplate his household 2i^ practi- 
cally heatJieUj where no God is adored ; no voice of 
prayer is heard ; no song of praise is offered ; no hands 
are stretched out to the heavens to save your beloved 
sons and daughters ! We are here tempted to ask, can 
there be such scenes ? Certainly we do ask, can there 
be such a scene among the friends of God, and among 
parents, feeling that they are professedly devoted to the 
service of the Most High ? If I speak to such an one, I 
address you as a Christian father, as a dying man, and 
beseech you that this night the God of heaven may be 
invoked in your abode, and that your dwelling become 
consecrated as the dwelling-place of the Most High. 

2. A second objection is want of time. This objection 
scarce deserves a serious answer ; and yet it is one of 
the most frequent that is made. I reply to it — 1. That 
the objection is one which may be turned to account, and 



88 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

do good, if you ever establish family worship. The great 
fault of devotion in families is, that it is too tedious, mo- 
notonous, and long — that it becomes wearisome and dis- 
gusting. It will be well if you can enter on it with all 
the advantage of the objection so often urged, and with 
the hope that you will feel the propriety of being short. 
2. I reply, make your devotions in the family as short 
as you please. I am not pleading for lo7ig services. I 
am pleading for the thing itself. And assuredly it would 
not greatly impede the more important business of mak- 
ing money, or enjoying the world, to give five minutes 
or three minutes to God. 8. Is this objection ever urged 
by those who are conscientious about this thing, and who 
feel that time was given them for some valuable purpose ? 
Is it urged by those who have actually engaged with in- 
terest in this duty, and who love it ? From them should 
come the objection, if from any quarter; and it is not 
fair for an objector to presume that he^ of all men, is 
conscientious about his time ; and that those who offer 
prayer in their families are the idle, and the prodigal. 
An investigation on this subject might show that all con- 
science is not on the side of the objector, and that the 
acknowledgment of God interferes with no man's wel- 
fare ; and that there may be a conscientious appropria- 
tion of time, even among those who regard family devo- 
tion as a pleasure and a duty. To such objectors I 
respectfully submit whether no time is spent in unne- 
cessary sleep; whether the toilet claims no time that 
God might claim ; and whether no time is spent in un- 
profitable reading or remark, on which God might have 
a claim on the head of the family. I feel that I am let- 
ting down this subject by noticing this objection. It 
requires some self-denial to meet the reasonings of men, 
who suppose that God is an aggressor, and an usurper ; 
that the Eternal King is violating all the laws of pro- 
perty, and is rudely intruding, when he claims a juris- 
diction over your hours, or moments ; and that for God, 
your Creator, to demand even a few moments of human 
life, is to come in as an unbidden and unwelcome guest 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 39 

into your family ; and is such an act of trespass on a 
man's castle, as to demand the deliberate purpose of a 
father to exclude him each day from the domain. I add 
in the language of Barrow, " Do we take devotion itself 
to be no business, or a business of no consideration ? Do 
we conceit, when we pay God his debts, or discharge 
our duty toward him, when we crave his mercy, when 
we solicit the main concernments of our souls, that we 
are idle, or misemployed ? that we lavish our time, and 
lose our pains? What other affairs can we have of 
greater moment, or necessity, than this ? Can there be 
any interest more close, and weighty, than this, of pro- 
moting for our own souls eternal health and happiness ? 
Is not this indeed the great work — the only necessary 
matter — ^in comparison with which, all other occupa- 
tions are trifling? What are the great businesses of 
this world? What but scraping for pelf, compassing 
designs of ambition, courting the respect and favour of 
men, gratifying sinful curiosity, and carnal humour ? 
Shall these images, these shadows of business, suppress 
or crowd out devotion? — that which procureth wealth 
inestimable, pleasure infinitely satisfactory, and honour 
incomparably noble : above all that this earth can afford ? 
Is it not, beside, no such indispensable business, but 
rather some base dotage on lucre, some inveigling bait 
of pleasure, that crosseth our devotion ? Is it not often 
a complimental visit, an appointment to tattle, a wild 
ramble in vice or folly, that so deeply urgeth us to put 
off our duty? Nay, is it not commonly sloth, rather 
than activity, an averseness from this, rather than incli- 
nation to any other employment, which diverts us from 
our prayers ? Is it not the true reason why we pray so 
seldom, not because we are very busy, but because tve 
are extremely idle : so idle, that we cannot willingly take 
the pains to withdraw our affections from sensible things, 
to reduce our wandering thoughts, to compose our hearts 
to right frames, to bend our untoward inclinations to a 
compliance with our duty ? Do we not betake ourselves 
to other conversations and commerces, merely for re- 



40 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

fuge^ shunning this intercourse with God, and with our 
selves." 

3. A third objection arises from diffidence. This de- 
mands a more respectful consideration. And yet there 
is scarcely any thing in which men are more liable to 
err. I shall assume the strongest case. It is that where 
a father is naturally timid, and retiring.. Where he finds 
it difi&cult to express himself, clearly and fluently, on any 
subject. Where he has arrived to a somewhat advanced 
period of life, and his family have grown up around him. 
Where he even apprehends opposition, or ridicule, from 
his companion or children. In such a case, is it the 
duty of the father to establish the worship of Grod in his 
family ? I reply, 1. You can speak to your children about 
other matters, you can address them on any topic ; why 
can you not, in their presence, address God ? Does it 
require more talent, more learning, more eloquence? 
The simplest language, and the humblest petitions, are 
those which will be most acceptable to him. 2. Every 
parent must feel that it is no creditable thing for him to 
be afraid of his children, when called to do his duty. To 
fear them^ is to throw disorder into all family govern- 
ment ; and to fear them more than God, is more. It is 
to throw ^'shadows, clouds, and darkness," on all his 
piety. How can a man be a Christian, when he trem- 
bles more at the fear of his children, than he does at the 
presence of God ; and when he regards their opinion as 
of more consequence than the judgment of heaven ? This 
was not the spirit of the apostles and martyrs, who faced 
the world, and defied tyrants on their thrones, and feared 
not racks and flames rather than to depart from the will 
of heaven. 3. All duty demands self-denial. He who 
expects to reach the heavens by sailing on the bosom of 
a calm and unrufiled stream, will find yet that he has 
greatly mistaken the nature of piety. And especially is 
this the case where duty has been long neglected. Then, 
to return is always difficult. Fear and shame will always 
plead for a longer indulgence. The man will be diffi- 
dent just in proportion to the extent of his sin, and to 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 41 

the amount of Influence that will be opposed to his return. 
The world will oppose him, perhaps deride and perse- 
cute him. But it is not reserved to this time to know 
what is to be done in such a case. It is long since made 
known. Duty is imperious. It yields nothing. And 
Christianity demands that whatever shamCj or ridicule, 
or persecution, be to be encountered, it be cheerfully met 
and borne, even on the rack or in the flames. You will 
never be a Christian without self-denial. That matter 
is put beyond debate. 4. On this subject there is a most 
solemn and fearful declaration of Jesus Christ. He that 
is ashamed of me and of my words before men, of him 
shall the Son of man be ashamed before his Father, and 
the holy angels. 5. You are probably mistaken about 
your family. Sufl'er me to ask, what reason have you 
to suppose that they will regard an attempt to pray, 
with disapprobation, or derision ? Have they thus ever 
met an attempt to do your duty ? Have you made the 
experiment ? Have you seen any indications that your 
attempt to obey God would meet with opposition ? Then 
it is time that the authority of a father should be exer- 
cised, and attended by all the sanctions and pleadings of 
religion. If you have so long neglected to do your duty, 
so long neglected their religious training, that they be- . 
gin to deride the religion of the Son of God, then no 
time is to be lost in meeting this influence, and showing 
them your sense of the value of the Christian religion, 
and the importance of being prepared to die. But you 
have not estimated aright the feelings of your children. 
Long since they have wondered that a father acknow- 
ledges no God in his habitation ; and perhaps this may 
have been the burden of their secret prayers that the 
God of heaven might be honoured in their father's house. 
It is not common, in this land, at least, that a family is 
disposed to deride a father for a serious attempt to do 
his duty. — I will add here, that all these difficulties 
vanish when a man commences the duty in earnest. 
Mountains at once dwindle to mole-hills. What was 
formidable in appearance, becomes easy in the reality ; 



42 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

and delight comes in where you expected dismay and 
alarm. I appeal to your own experience in other things. 
How often have you found that all your difficulties have 
vanished when you have seriously resolved to do your 
duty ! So you would find it in family prayer. 

4. A fourth objection is want of ability to pray to 
edification. To this I answer, 1. It is not talent or 
eloquence that is required in addressing Grod. It is a 
humble and contrite heart. 2. You can speak before 
your family on other subjects with propriety. You make 
no plea of want of ability when you express your desires 
to them. Why urge this plea about expressing their 
and your desires to God ? 3. You have as much ability 
in this case as the publican had. It was not eloquence 
or learning in him that received the commendation of 
the Son of God. 4. There is scarcely any thing in 
which pride is more apparent ; and none in which it is 
more abominable, than in the excuses about prayer. If 
it were not for their fellow sinners, men could pray. 
Alone, they are never known to urge the plea of want of 
ability. And this is saying that they have more respect 
for their fellow men than they have for God. And this 
is the same as to say, if they were not proud they would 
find no difficulty in devotion. When an objection can 
be reduced to this condition, there it is proper to leave 
it. 6. All this difficulty can be avoided by availing 
yourself of forms of prayer. If , the objection be sincere, 
that is a full answer to it, and you should commence at 
once. Such forms are not forbidden in the New Testa- 
ment, and as if to meet this whole difficulty, and with an 
expressed design to teach his disciples how to pray, Christ 
left that inimitably beautiful model which is known as 
his. That^ you can at least use in your family. And 
whatever may be the abstract opinion about the compa- 
rative value of forms of prayer, yet there will be no 
question, I apprehend, that it is better to use a form, 
than not to pray at all. 

5. There is but one other difficulty that I think it 
important to notice ; and that is one that demands the 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 43 

utmost tenderness and kindness in the reply. It re- 
lates to the duty of a mother, and especially of a wi- 
dowed mother; and the question is whether such a 
mother should lead a family advancing in years to the 
throne of Grace. The duty of a mother, where the father 
is opposed to it, is manifestly clear. It is not to assume 
authority, or to demand the privilege as a right, of con 
ducting herself the devotions of the family. In retire 
ment with her children, however, she may, and should^ 
supplicate the blessing of God on them and him. When, 
however, he is unwilling to perform the duty himself, 
but willing that she should conduct the devotions of the 
house, there can be no violation of propriety in her 
maintaining family devotion. The more difficult ques- 
tion pertains to the widow. Let us look at this. On 
this, then, I remark, 1. She is obviously the very per- 
son who needs the aid of family prayer. God has taken 
away the head and earthly father in his mysterious 
dealings — he whose it was to conduct your devotions — 
and why should you not look to him who is your Father 
and Comforter in heaven ? The benefit of the counsels 
of the earthly parent is withdrawn. You need the coun- 
sel of a higher Being ; and why should you not seek it ? 
You feel now more and more your dependence on God, 
and why should you not express it ? 2. You especially 
need all this aid, in the business of governing and di- 
recting your children. They have lost their father's 
counsel, his example, his authority. On your feebler 
arm now all is dependent. It is yours to guide, to 
counsel, to govern. In this you need all the aid which 
can be obtained. What so direct and mighty as to call 
in the aid of religion — amid your sighs and tears to be- 
seech the God of mercy to take you beneath his kind 
paternal care ? It is not easy for children to treat with 
disrespect a praying, widowed mother. This is the 
very time, and occasion, for seeking the God of grace, 
and his ear will not be heavy to hear, nor his arm. short 
to help her, that comes and pleads day and night before 
his throne, his own oft-repeated promises to the widow 



44 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

and the fatherless. 3. There is no scene on earth, it 
seems to me, so lovely as that of a bereaved family, thus 
pouring its sorrows into the ears of God, and seeking 
repose on his bosom. And in that family — that widowed 
and fatherless family where this is wanting, there is a 
chasm which no adorning, no amiableness, no intelli- 
gence can fill. God should be acknowledged there. It 
is the very place where there should be an altar. And 
if all places of worship should be broken up ; if all our 
assemblies should be dissolved ; if the fires of devotion 
every where else should grow dim, or expire, yet they 
should be seen to shed their pure beams on the abode of 
the widow, and to diffuse light and joy in the otherwise 
sad dwelling-place of the fatherless. 4. The plea of 
want of ability should not be urged there. It is proper 
to use forms of prayer; and the widow comes to her 
duty under the advantage of more cheering promises 
made to her in the Scriptures, than are made to any 
other class of the human family. 

It is proper, before we close, to make a few remarks 
on the way in which family devotion should be per- 
formed. As general remarks on a subject like this do 
no good, I shall specify a few particulars. 

1. Prayer should be Bhort. A family cannot be brought 
to attend with interest to a prayer that shall much, if 
any, exceed five minutes in length. It is better to fall 
short of that than to exceed it. The tendency of long 
prayers is to disgust and weary, and to train them up to 
dread, and to hate the w^hole business of family devotion. 

2. Prayer should be simple and plain. The Lord's 
prayer is on this subject an inimitable model of devo- 
tion. It is unsurpassed in simplicity, and it is one of 
the first things that a child can be made to understand. 
A family will soon be disgusted with that which is above 
their comprehension ; and the only way to interest chil- 
dren in such devotions is to frame them so that they can 
understand them and feel an interest in them. 

3. It should be direct. There should be some object 
to be prayed for. It should be commonly limited to a 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 45 

few topics, and those should be presented in the most 
simple way possible. The practice of praying for every 
body and every thing, in every prayer, has a direct ten- 
dency to destroy all the effects of devotion. Historical 
prayers — prayers beginning with the creation of man, 
and tracing all his history to the times of the millen- 
nium, repeated from one day to another, soon disgust 
and weary any audience, and soonest of all, a family. 
Till men learn to concentrate their feelings, and have 
really some ohjeet for which they wish to pray — an ob- 
ject in which they feel some interest, the business of 
praying will be dull, monotonous, disgusting. 

4. Prayer should be solemn. It should not be a mat- 
ter of form. Nor should it be in an affected tone, or 
mock solemnity. Few audiences understand the real 
nature of such prayers, sooner than a family. The God 
whom you worship is not an idol. Your wants are not 
fictions. Your sins are real. The dangers of your 
children are mighty and pressing. Your relation to 
God and eternity, is not a cold formality. It has every 
thing to thrill, to pierce, to awe, to overwhelm. And 
coldness, and spiritual death, become any place better 
than the family altar. Let the snows of Greenland, and 
the ice of the northern seas, be in any other place of 
devotion, rather than on that where you plead with 
God for the guidance and salvation of your sons and 
daughters. 

5. Prayer should be regular. It is not the business 
of the sabbath merely ; nor of scenes of affliction mere- 
ly ; nor a matter to be attended to when you are not 
otherwise employed. It is to be the real business of the 
family — a part of its systematic organization, and em- 
ployment. Without this its interest will expire. When 
I plead with you that God be acknowledged in your 
family, I plead that it may enter into your plans, that 
religion is to be a prominent part of the design for 
which you live. 

6. Family prayer should obviously be connected with 
instruction, and especially with the perusal of the Holy 



46 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

Scriptures. Its interest may also be heightened, and 
its great ends furthered, by making it the occasion of 
celebrating the praises of God, by psalms and hymns. 
I add — 

7. That it should be the offering of the family. I 
deem this remark of more importance than any one 
which I have made. When I say that it should be the 
offering of the family, I mean that it should enter into 
the plan^ and the arrangement, that children, and ser- 
vants, should be present at the time of devotion. I 
make the observation, because it is so easy to forget that 
our servants are a part of the family, or that they have 
any sympathies in common with us. Whoever looks 
into the epistles of Paul, will see that the religious treat- 
ment of servants occupies a large place in his instruc- 
tions to the churches. It is clear, that proper religious 
attention will not be shown to them, unless it is made a 
matter of conscience with you to admit them to the 
privileges of family prayer. They are a part of your 
family. They are under your care. Their religious 
instruction is to be subject to your control. And it is 
perfectly manifest that their attachment to you, their 
fidelity, their good conduct, can be in no way so effectu- 
ally secured as to admit them to the privileges of the 
Christian, and share with them the hopes of the mercy 
of heaven, and the favour of God. If you wish to secure 
their attachment, show them that you are interested in 
their religious welfare. If you wish to bind them to 
your family, admit them to the privileges of that religion, 
where there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor 
free ; but where Christ is all and in all. These great 
interests you have in common. The hopes of heaven 
may be theirs, as well as yours. And rank, and wealth, 
and the relation of master, afford no passport to the 
favour of God, and confer no elevation before the throne 
of grace. Besides, there is no so effectual way of pro- 
ducing humility, kindness, and fidelity, among servants, 
as by imbuing them with a knowledge of that religion 
which recognises their condition, teaches them their 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 47 

duty, and makes them prayerful and conscientious. Be- 
fore the throne of Grod masters and servants should bow 
in common. They will soon stand at a common bar of 
judgment. And it is well even for the rich and the 
powerful, to feel every day, that in the great interests 
of human existence, wealth and splendour confer no 
prerogatives ; and that those poor, dependent, and igno- 
rant, have spirits precious as our own, and that it is 
ours to attempt to raise them up to the blessings of re- 
demption, and that there is no respect of persons with 
God. 

The same remarks are applicable to your children. 
The evil of disorganized families results from irregu- 
larity in their attendance on family devotion. Indulge 
them in sleep ; or suffer them to be absent amid the scenes 
of gaiety, fashion, splendour, or dissipation, at the regu- 
lar times of devotion, and it is not difficult to foresee what 
will be the character of your sons and daughters. Deeds 
of wickedness are commonly literally deeds of darkness ; 
and more than half the evils inflicted on a community, 
result from the want of power or inclination of parents 
to restrain, and bind to proper hours, and times, the 
headlong, and daring propensities of children. That 
parent, in my view, greatly fails in his duty, and is 
pointing thorns for a future pillow, who suffers his chil- 
dren to be absent from his view at the proper seasons 
of devotion. Summon them to your side, and present 
them before God; and there, if any where, they are 
safe. 

In conclusion, I remark, that there is not on earth a 
scene more interesting than a family thus bending be- 
fore the God of heaven. A collection of dependent beings, 
with tender feelings, with lively sympathies, with com- 
mon hopes, fears, joys, blending their bliss, and their 
woes together, and presenting them all to the King of 
kings, and the Great Father of all the families of man- 
kind. There is not on earth a man more to be vene- 
rated, or that will be more venerated, than the father 
who thus ministers at the family altar. No other man, 



48 PRELIMINARY ESSAY 

like that father, so reaches all the sources of human 
action, or so gently controls the powers yielding in their 
first years, and following the direction of his moulding 
hand, that are soon to control all that is tender and sa- 
cred in the interests of the church and state. No Solon 
or Lycurgus is laying the foundation of codes of laws so 
deep, or taking so fast a hold on all that is to affect the 
present or future destiny of man. We love, therefore, 
to look at such venerable locks ; and to contemplate these 
ministers of God which stand between the rising genera- 
tion — feeble, helpless, and exposed to a thousand perils — 
and the Eternal Parent of all. They stand between the 
past and the coming age — remnants of the one, and lights 
to the other ; binding the past with that which is to come ; 
living lights of experience to guide the footsteps of the 
ignorant and erring ; to illuminate the coming genera- 
tion — to obtain for it blessings by counsel and prayer, 
and then to die. And if the earth contains, amid its 
desolations, one spot of green on which the eye of God 
reposes with pleasure, it is the collected group, with the 
eye of the father raised to heaven, and the voice of faith 
and prayer commending the little worshippers to the 
protecting care of Him who never slumbers nor sleeps. 

The inimitable language of Burns, on this subject, is 
not fiction. In hundreds of families you might witness 
all that is pure and sublime in the scene contemplated 
by the Scottish bard. 

" They chant their artless notes in simple guise : 

They tune their hearts, by far the noblest aim : 
Perhaps Dundee's wild warbling measures rise 

Or plaintive Martyrs^ worthy of the name : 
Or noble Elgin beats the heav'nward jflame, 

The sweetest far of Scotia^ s holy lays : 
ComparM with these, Italian trills are tame ; 

The tickl'd ears no heart-felt raptures raise; 
Nae unison hae they with our Creator's praise. 

" The priest-like father reads the sacred page, 

How Abram was the friend of God on high ; 
Or Moses bade eternal warfare wage 

With Amalek^s ungracious progeny; 
Or how the royal bard did groaning lie 



ON FAMILY PRAYER. 49 

Beneath the stroke of Heaven's avenging ire ; 
Or Job^s pathetic plaint, and waiUng cry; 
Or rapt IsaiaWs wild, seraphic fire ; 
Or other holy seers that tune the sacred lyre. 

" Perhaps the Christian volume is the theme, 

How guiltless blood for guilty man was shed ; 
How /f(p, who bore in heaven the second name, 

Had not on earth whereon to lay his head : 
How his first followers and servants sped ; 

The precepts sage they wrote to many a land; 
How he who lone in Patmos banished, 

Saw in the sun a mighty angel stand ; 
And heard great BabHorCs doom pronounc'd by Heaven's com- 
mand. 

" Then kneeling down, to Heaven's Eternal King, 

The saint^ the father^ and the husband prays ; 
Hope " springs exulting on triumphant wing,"* 

That thus they all shall meet in future days ; 
There ever bask in uncreated rays, 

No more to sigh, or shed the bitter tear, 
Together hymning their Creator^s praise, 

In such society, yet still more dear ; 
While circling time moves round in an eternal sphere." 

* Pope's Windsor Forest. 



FAMILY PRAYERS. 



FIRST WEEK. 



SABBATH MORNING. Jay. 

Thou King eternal, immortal, invisible, dwelling in 
the light which no man can approach unto, and whom 
no eye hath seen, or can see. Thou art incomprehensi- 
ble, and the highest archangel can never find thee out 
unto perfection. Yet thou hast been pleased to reveal 
thyself to man ; and by means of thy word, we behold 
thee in every character and relation that can suit our 
necessities, or encourage our hope. Thy throne is in 
the heavens, and thy kingdom ruleth over all ; and all 
nations before thee are as nothing; yet thou conde- 
scendest to regard the things that are done in the earth ; 
and thou despisest not the prayer even of the destitute. 
Thou art exalted above all blessing and praise : our 
goodness extendeth not to thee — but unless thine be 
extended to us, we are undone forever. Without thee 
we can do nothing ; we are nothing. In thee we live, 
and move, and have our being. The way of man is not 
in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his 
steps. We are poor and dependent ; but as thou art 
able, so thou art willing, to take the charge of us ; and 
here we are, the living to praise thee ; and to acknow- 
ledge that goodness and mercy have followed us all the 
days of our lives. 

We bless thee, that thou hast regarded our souls, as 
well as our bodies ; and no less provided for our future 

(51) 



52 FIRST WEEK. 

interests, than our present. When there was no eye to 
pity us, thou didst remember us in our low estate ; and 
when there was no arm to rescue, thou wast pleased to 
lay help on one that is mighty ; and thou hast sent thy 
own Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but 
that the world through him might be saved. To him 
may we turn our hearts, and find in him the wisdom, 
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, which, as 
perishing sinners, we need. In all our approaches to 
thee, may we have boldness, and access, with confidence, 
by the faith of him. May we know that he has borne 
our griefs, and carried our sorrows ; and be able to re- 
joice in him as our sacrifice, our sympathising friend, 
our almighty helper, and our lovely example. May we 
drink into his spirit. May we transcribe the excellen- 
cies of his character into our own. May we place our 
feet in the very prints of his steps ; and follow him till 
we shall be perfectly like him, and see him as he is. 

We desire to acknowledge thee in the dispensations 
of thy providence ; and to own thy agency in all the 
events that befall us, whether pleasing or painful. Thou 
hast a right to govern us ; and thou knowest what will 
best advance our welfare. May we commit our way 
unto the Lord, and be able to say at thy footstool, in un- 
feigned submission. Here I am, let him do what seem- 
eth him good. If darkness veils thy dealings with us, 
may we trust and not be afraid ; believing that what we 
know not now, we shall know hereafter ; and that the 
development of thy conduct will issue in perfect satis- 
faction and praise. 

We bless thee for the institutions of religion, in the 
use of which thou hast promised to draw near to those 
that draw near to thee. We rejoice in another of the 
days of the Son of man ; may we call off our minds 
from the cares of the world, and attend upon the Lord 
without distraction. Quicken and elevate our souls, 
that rising above the formality of devotion, we may 
come even to thy seat, and enjoy a little of the blessed- 
ness of those that have entered thy temple above, and 



FIRST WEEK. 53 

are singing the song of Moses and the Lamb. We are 
about to assemble in the house of prayer — pour upon 
us the spirit of grace and of supplication ; and rank us 
in the number of those who hunger and thirst after 
righteousness. We are going to the house of praise — 
awaken in us every grateful and cheerful emotion, and 
may we speak to ourselves in psalms and hymns, and 
spiritual songs, singing, and making melody in our 
hearts unto the Lord. We are repairing to the house of 
instruction — enable us to receive the kingdom of God 
as a little child. Teach us of thy ways. Lead us into 
all truth. And let us be neither barren nor unfruitful 
in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

For this purpose, let thy presence go with us; and 
let thy word come to us ; not in word only, but in power, 
and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. Bless 
all the churches of the faithful ; and the ministers of the 
everlasting gospel, of every name, and of every nation. 
Clothe the priests with salvation; and let thy saints 
shout aloud for joy. May our country prosper in all 
her lawful interests, both domestic and foreign. Bless 
the chief magistrate of our nation, and all that are in 
authority ; may they rule in thy fear, and be guided by 
thy counsel ; and may the people lead quiet and peacea- 
ble lives in all godliness and honesty. Make us glad ac- 
cording to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and 
the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work ap- 
pear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their chil- 
dren, and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon 
us ; establish thou the work of our hand upon us, yea, 
the work of our hand, establish thou it. 

*And we especially invoke thy blessing, Lord, to 
attend this day all the instructions imparted in Sabbath 
schools and Bible classes. We pray that thou wilt be 
graciously pleased to grant the influences of the Holy 
Spirit, that that instruction may be impressed deeply 
on the heart and may produce abundant fruit in the life. 
Give grace, Almighty God, to those who arc teachers 
in those schools; that they may be deeply impressed 



54 FIRST WEEK. 

with their responsibility ; that they may be themselves 
thy children ; and that they may engage in their work 
with an earnest desire to benefit those entrusted to their 
charge. May their minds be enlightened that they may 
understand thy holy word. May they see clearly the 
great plan of redeeming mercy. May they be enabled 
to present thy truth simply, clearly, with affection, and 
with prayer. May the sacred Spirit — the Comforter — 
be given them, to guide them into all truth. And do 
thou be pleased to bless all children in those schools. 
Preside over them and give to them thy Holy Spirit. 
Grant to them tender, teachable minds. May they learn 
the paths of wisdom, and delight in instruction. May 
their hearts be given to the Saviour in their early years. 
May they come to him, who, when on earth, said. Suffer 
little children and forbid them not to come unto me, for 
of such is the kingdom of Heaven. Take, blessed Sa- 
viour, those lambs of the flock into thine arms, and guide 
them by thine unerring counsel. Defend them from the 
perils and temptations of life, and conduct thou them to 
the joys of thine everlasting kingdom. [May our own 
children be trained up in the knowledge of thy name; 
and whatever instruction in accordance with thy word 
may be imparted to them in the family, the Sunday 
school, or the sanctuary, we pray that it may be attended 
with thy blessing, and be the means of fitting them for 
the duties of this life, and for the joys of thine eternal 
kingdom.]* 

These mercies, and all we need, we humbly ask in the 
name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, our most gracious Lord 
and Redeemer. Amen. 



SABBATH EVENING. Jai/. 

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and 
to sing praises unto thy name, Most High, to show 
forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faith- 
fulness every night. 



FIRST WEEK. 55 

We this evening acknowledge the blessings, not only 
of another day, but of another Sabbath. We bless thee 
that the Sabbath was made for man, and that thou hast 
hallowed such a portion of our time, for purposes so im- 
portant, but which, alas, we are prone to neglect. Thus 
thou art affording us opportunities to retire and to learn, 
among all the cares of life, that one thing is needful ; and 
to hear the inquiry, what is a man profited, if he should 
gain the whole world and lose his own soul. Thus we 
have moments of leisure, in which we can more fully 
investigate our character ; examine our condition ; and 
ask, for what purpose we entered this mortal stage, and 
what will become of us when these scenes close. 

We thank thee that the lines are fallen to us in plea- 
sant places, and that we have a goodly heritage : so that 
we can add to private meditation and devotion, the pub- 
lic ordinances of religion ; and can sit under our own 
vine and fig-tree, none daring to make us afraid. We 
bless thee, that we have not only the Scriptures, but the 
ministry of the gospel ; and have this day not only read, 
but heard the words of eternal life. 

But, God, the eifects we experience while waiting 
upon thee, though delightful, often prove like the morn- 
ing cloud, and early dew. Before the lapse of a single 
day, we are compelled to complain. My soul cleaveth 
unto the dust ; and to pray. Quicken thou me according 
to thy word. Render therefore the impressions made 
upon us, deep and durable : keep these things for ever in 
the imagination of the hearts of thy people ; and let thy 
word dwell in us richly, in all wisdom. 

May the instructions we receive, attend us in every 
part of our life, and regulate, and excite us in the dis- 
charge of all our relative duties, so that whether we are 
husbands or wives, parents or children, masters or ser- 
vants, we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in 
all things. May we be satisfied with no knowledge, no 
belief, no professions, no feelings in religion— while our 
hearts are void of thy love, and we are strangers to that 
grace which bringeth salvation, and teacheth us to deny 



56 , FIRST WEEK. 

ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, right- 
eously, and godly in the present world. 

We take shame to ourselves, not only for our open 
violations of thy law; but for our secret faults, our omis- 
sions of duty, our unprofitable attendance on the means 
of grace, our carnality in worshipping thee ; and all the 
sins of our holy things. Our iniquities are increased 
over our head, and our trespass is gone up into the very 
heavens — and there he is gone also, who is our Advo- 
cate with the Father, and the Propitiation for our sins. 
Behold his hands and his feet : and hear, hear, the 
voice of the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better 
things than that of Abel. 

Pity those who have this day been deprived of the 
public means of grace by sickness or infirmity. Let 
them know that thou art not confined to temples made 
with hands : be with them in trouble ; and give them 
their vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor 
for a door of hope. 

And remember the millions who were never favoured 
with the advantages we enjoy, and would be grateful for 
the crumbs that fall from our table. But they never 
smiled when a sabbath appeared. They never heard 
the name of Jesus. They feel guilt, but know nothing 
of the blood that cleanseth from all sin ; they feel de- 
pravity, but know nothing of the renewing of the Holy 
Ghost. No one proclaims among them the balm of 
Gilead ; and the physician there. 0, send out thy light 
and thy truth. Let thy way be known on earth ; thy 
saving health among all nations. 

We now commit ourselves, with all our connexions, 
into thy hands. Guard us through the defenceless hours 
of sleep, from every evil to which we are exposed. If, 
as life is always uncertain, it should please thee to call 
us hence this night — may we awaken in glory, and be 
forever with the Lord : or if thou shouldst continue us 
in being — may we rise in health and comfort, to pay 
thee the homage of a grateful heart, in a course of cheer- 
ful obedience. 



FIRST WEEK. 57 

In thy favour is life — Do thou bless us, and we shall be 
blessed — safe from every evil, and sure of every good. 

And prepare us at length for the rest that remains for 
thy people ; in which we shall join the general assembly 
and church of the first born, in ascribing blessing and 
honour, and glory, and power, to him that sitteth upon 
the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. 



MONDAY MORNING.* Ja^/. 

Thou, who hast characterized thyself as the hearer 
of prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come : and that we 
may come with acceptance and success, we come in the 
name of the great intercessor, Jesus Christ, the righteous 
— and thou Eternal Spirit of grace and supplication, do 
thou make intercession for us, by making intercession in 
us, according to the will of God. 

Bless the services in which we were engaged on the 
past day. Let a savour of divine things be left on our 
spirits, and be diifused in our conversation. Let those 
around us take knowledge of us, that we have been with 
Jesus ; and may our profiting appear unto all men. May 
our light shine before men. May we be manifestly the 
disciples of Christ. May we put on, as the elect of God, 
holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humble- 
ness of mind, meekness, long suffering, forgiving one 
another. May we be followers of God, as dear children : 
may we be perfect, as our Father, who is in heaven, is 
perfect. 

We confess and bewail, not only our deficiencies, but 
our backslidings also. 0, recall us to thyself; enable us 
to feel our first love, and to do our first works. Yea, 
may we forget the things that are behind, and reach forth 
unto those that are before. May we not only have life, 

* The first Monday in the month is observed, by most Christian 
denominations, as a monthly concert of prayer for the spread of the 
gospel throughout the world. 

3* 



58 FIRST WEEK. 

but may we have it more abundantly ; and not only be 
fruitful, but bear much fruit. 

May our improvements correspond with our privi- 
leges ; and our practice with our knowledge. May our 
wills always bow to the decisions of our judgments ; 
may we choose what we approve, and never condemn 
ourselves in the things that we allow. 

May all our churches continue steadfastly in the apos- 
tles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking of 
bread, and in prayer ; and may the Lord add daily to 
their number, such as shall be saved. 

May the dead hear the voice of the Son of Grod, and 
live. May those who are asking the way to Zion, with 
their faces thitherward, find a teacher that will say to 
them. This is the way, walk ye in it, when they turn to 
the right hand, and when they turn to the left. Let the 
rich be poor in spirit ; and the poor be made rich in faith, 
and heirs of the kingdom which thou hast promised to 
them that love thee. Let the ignorant be enlightened; 
and let those that are wise, become fools, that they may 
be wise. 

*We acknowledge thee, most merciful God, as the 
Father of all flesh. Thou hast made of one blood all the 
nations of men, to dwell on the face of all the earth ; and 
hast fixed the bounds of their habitation. Thou uphold- 
est all in being ; providest for their wants ; causest thy 
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendest rain 
on the just and on the unjust. We rejoice, our Father, 
and thank thee for thy goodness to all men. We praise 
thee that thou hast had mercy on the human family, and 
hast provided a plan of salvation, adapted to the wants 
of all mankind. And we bless thee for all thy promises 
in relation to the spread, and final triumph of the gospel 
of thy dear Son, that the heathen shall be given to him 
for his inheritance, and the ends of the earth for his 
possession — that the desert shall bud and bloom as the 
rose, and the wilderness and solitary place shall be glad. 

Be pleased, Lord, to look down in mercy, on all 
who shall this day assemble to supplicate thy blessing 



FIlfST AVEEK. 59 

on a fallen world. Give to thy people a spirit of grace 
and supplication. May they approach thy throne with 
humble hearts ; with true faith ; with earnest desires, that 
thy kingdom may come, and thy will be done on earth 
as it is done in heaven. May they approach thee, feel- 
ing that they plead for the salvation of a dying world ; 
and give thee no rest until the righteousness of Zion 
go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that 
burneth. Do thou graciously hear and answer their sup- 
plications. Look in mercy upon a ruined world. Pity 
the nations that are sitting in the region and shadow of 
death ; and may the sun of righteousness arise upon them 
with healing in his beams. May the dark places of the 
earth, now full of the habitations of cruelty, become the 
dwelling-place of righteousness, and the abodes of peace. 
May the ignorant be enlightened ; the wretched be com- 
forted ; the oppressed go free. May thy glorious gospel 
shed its blessings on all the nations of the earth ; and all 
the means now used to advance the glory of the latter 
day, be crowned with success. 

Attend, most merciful Father, all those who have 
gone to other lands, to make known the unsearchable 
riches of Christ. Give to them much of the spirit of thy 
dear Son. Give them wisdom to direct them — grace to 
support them in all their trials — success in all their efforts. 
Make them burning and shining lights among the na- 
tions. May they be kept from sin, and temptation; 
from despondency, and doubt; from persecution, and 
want. In all their trials may they stay themselves on 
thee, and ever have an unshaken confidence in the pro- 
mises of thy holy word. Keep, by thy mighty power, 
all who among the heathen have been converted to the 
Christian faith. Preserve them from temptation and 
apostacy. Afford them light and strength as they need, 
and amid all the trials with which they may meet, may 
they find thee to be a present help, a refuge, and a 
strength. May they see more and more of the beauty 
of that religion which they profess, and daily rejoice 
more and more in hope of the glory of God. 



60 FIRST WEEK. 

Advance, Lord, all the great interests of man. May 
the blessings of civil and religious freedom, of Christian 
education, and of peace, be everywhere enjoyed. May 
wars, and rumours of wars cease. May the sword be 
beat into a ploughshare, and the spear into a pruning 
hook, and nations learn war no more. Let the mild and 
peaceful principles of thy glorious gospel every where 
prevail, and the ends of the earth soon be filled with 
thy glory.* 

We bless thee, for all thy former loving-kindnesses to 
this family, and pray that they may be continued to us, 
and sanctified to us. May the outgoings of the morning 
and evening of another day be made to rejoice. May 
we continually live under the shadow of thy wing and 
the influence of thy grace: and let the words of our 
mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable 
in thy sight, Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. 

And unto Him that is able to do for us exceeding 
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to 
the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the 
church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world with- 
out end. Amen. 



MONDAY EVENING. Ja^. 

*OuR Father, who art in heaven, we approach thee 
at the close of another day to render thee thanks for thy 
mercies, and to implore thy blessing on us and on all 
mankind. Thy mercies are new to us every morning, 
fresh every evening, repeated every moment. To thy 
name we give thanks for our birth in a Christian land, 
and for all the mercy thou hast shown us in our lives. 
We thank thee for thy glorious gospel, that gospel which 
we have so long slighted and abused, and which thou art 
graciously continuing to us. We would remember this 
night, that millions of our fellow beings are sitting in the 
region and shadow of death ; that on them no light has 



FIRST WEEK. 61 

risen, and none have gone to them to break to them the 
bread of life. Make us sensible of thy distinguishing 
mercy to us. May we remember that where much is 
given, there much will be required ; and that soon we 
must appear at thy bar, with an assembled world, to 
render an account for the improvement of all our privi- 
leges.* 

We bless thee for a purpose of grace given us in Christ 
Jesus before the world began. We rejoice that in the 
fulness of time he assumed our nature, and became obe- 
dient unto death, even the death of the cross ; and that 
as he was delivered for our offences, so he was raised 
again for our justification, and ascending up on high, 
entered into the holy place, as a proof of the sufficiency 
and acceptance of the sacrifice he offered. We rejoice 
that he has received the whole dispensation of the Spirit, 
and that in him all fulness dwells. And we bless thee 
for the proclamations of the gospel, which hold him 
forth to our view in all his grace and glory, and un- 
searchable riches, that we through patience and comfort 
of the Scriptures, might have hope. 

thou God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace, in 
believing thy promises and invitations, that we may 
abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. 
May we esteem all things but loss for the excellency of 
the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord ; and may we 
supremely desire to win Christ, knowing that he who 
hath the Son of God hath life, and shall never come into 
condemnation. May we prove that we are joined to the 
Lord, by being one spirit with him ; may our sentiments, 
tempers, and conduct, be formed after the example which 
he left us ; and may we never consider ourselves Chris- 
tians, but as we long to be like him, and the life also of 
Jesus is made manifest in our mortal body. May we 
never love a world that crucified the Lord of glory ; nor 
suffer those sins to live that caused him to die. May his 
grace, in becoming poor, that we through his poverty 
might be rich, make us ashamed of our selfishness ; and 
may his love, in giving his life a ransom for us, so con- 



62 FIRST WEEK. 

strain us, as to render any services or sacrifices, for his 
sake, our delight. 

May he never be wounded in the house of his pro- 
fessed friends ; may we rather die than bring a reproach 
upon his cause. May all his followers be dear to us. 
May we recommend him to those that know him not, 
that they may seek him, with us. Let the number of 
those who love his salvation, daily increase ; and let the 
accessions include every member of our household, and 
all our absent friends. And hasten, Lord, the blessed 
hour, when all kings shall fall down before him, and all 
nations shall serve him — and blessed be his glorious 
name forever 1 And let the whole earth be filled with 
his glory. 

*Be pleased, Lord, to hear the prayers which thy 
people have this day offered in behalf of Zion. Grant 
an answer to the desires and supplications of thy people. 
Send out thy light and thy truth, and let all nations be 
illuminated with the gospel of thy grace. We commend 
to thee thy cause, We beseech thee to look in mercy 
upon the nations of the earth. We pray that thy people 
may be more deeply impressed with the wants and woes 
of man. Grant that thy people may more and more deny 
themselves ; may feel more deeply affected in view of all 
the miseries and crimes of our race ; and more earnestly 
desirous that all nations should hear thy gospel. We 
commend to thy care all Missionary, Tract, Bible, and 
Education Societies, and all the institutions of benevo- 
lence in our land, and throughout the world. May those 
who are called, in thy providence, to direct the charities 
of thy people, and to preside in the institutions of benevo- 
lence, be endowed with true wisdom, with conscientious- 
ness, with a spirit of prayer, and with deep and expan- 
sive benevolence. May they ever feel their responsi- 
bility, and in all their deliberations be conducted to such 
results as shall be for the glory of thy name, and for the 
speedy and universal extension of the gospel among the 
nations of the earth. We pray that revivals of true reli- 
gion in all lands may be multiplied. We beseech thee 



FIRST WEEK. 63 

to send forth more labourers into the harvest. May all 
our schools and colleges be under thy fostering care, and 
may the young men of this land, and this generation, be 
imbued with the spirit of self-denial, and with a readiness 
to obey thy call in diffusing the blessings of civilization 
and Christianity among all men. May every continent 
and island partake of thy blessing, and every nation and 
tribe speedily hear in their own language the wonderful 
works of God. Let thy holy word be translated into all 
the languages of the earth, and every habitation of man 
be soon blessed with the inestimable treasure of the word 
of life. 

Behold in mercy, God, all who are oppressed. Es- 
pecially look in tenderness upon benighted and injured 
Africa. Send to all her millions thy holy gospel, and may 
Christian nations soon be roused to repair her wrongs, and 
to send to that people, so long injured and afflicted, the 
healing balm of life. Put a period, we do earnestly pray 
thee, to the traffic in human flesh. May the eyes of men 
be opened to the guilt and wo of this traffic, and their 
hearts feel, deeply feel, for that injured people. Re- 
member, Lord, all the sons of Africa who are held in 
bondage in all lands. May that gospel, which is sent to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the cap- 
tives, and the opening of the prison to them that are 
bound, be sent to all those lands, and may the prisoner 
speedily go free. Especially remember all in bondage in 
our own land. Bless all the means that are used to pro- 
mote their welfare ; and soon may this land be freed from 
this burden, and all men here be admitted to the rights 
with which, by nature, thou hast endowed them. Direct 
to such means as may result in their freedom, in consist- 
ency with the peace and welfare of this nation ; and 
grant that their captivity here, may yet be the means 
of bestowing the rich blessings of Christianity on the 
land of their fathers.* 

We praise thee as the length of our days and the God 
of our mercy. In the morning we committed ourselves to 
thy care, and thou hast been with us in our going out and 



64 FIRST WEEK. 

our coming in ; and hast kept us in all our ways. Par- 
don whatever thou hast seen amiss in us through another 
period of our time. Accept the charge of us through the 
approaching night ; and grant us the sleep which thou 
givest thy beloved ; as we hope we desire it, not only 
as creatures, but as Christians ; not only to gratify our 
feelings, but to renew our strength for thy service, and 
to fit us to glorify thee in our bodies as well as in our 
spirits, through our adorable Redeemer. Amen. 



TUESDAY MORNING. Jay. 

Thou, whose name also is Jehovah, the Most High 
over all the earth, we desire to adore the perfections of 
thy nature, and to admire the works of thy hands. May 
the united displays of thy greatness, and thy goodness, 
impress our minds, and influence our thoughts and affec- 
tions, while we approach thee. 

Heaven is thy throne, and the earth is thy footstool. 
The universe, with all its creatures, was made by thy 
word, and is upholden by thy power ; and thou doest ac- 
cording to thine own will in the army of heaven, and 
among the inhabitants of the earth ; none can stay thy 
hand, or say unto thee. What doest thou ? 

But thou art the Father of mercies, the God of all 
grace, and the God of all comfort. Even we, poor, 
mean, dying creatures, are not beneath thy care. Thou 
hast been mindful of us ; thou hast visited us ; and thy 
visitation hath preserved our spirits. The lines are fallen 
to us in pleasant places ; yea, we have a goodly heritage ; 
we live in a land of light ; we have the Scriptures in our 
hands, and our ears hear the joyful soimd of the gospel. 
We know that thou hast not spared thine own Son, 
but delivered him up for us all. We know that he has 
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows : that his blood 
cleanseth from all sin, and that whosoever believeth on 
him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life. 

We come in his name, and make mention of his right- 



FIRST WEEK. 65 

eousness only. We plead the obedience and sufferings 
of him who magnified the law, and made it honourable. 
May we be justified by his blood ; and may we be saved 
by his life. May we be joined to the Lord, and of one 
spirit with him. May we deny ourselves, and take up 
our cross, and follow him. May the agency of thy Holy 
Spirit prepare us for all the dispensations of thy provi- 
dence. May we be willing that the Lord should choose 
our inheritance for us, and determine what we shall re- 
tain or lose ; what we shall suffer or enjoy. 

If indulged with prosperity, may we be secured from 
its snares, and use its advantages as not abusing them. 
And may we patiently and cheerfully submit to those 
afflictions, which are necessary to hedge up our way 
when we are tempted to wander, to excite an abhor- 
rence of sin, to wean us from the present evil world, 
and to make us partakers of thy holiness. In whatso- 
ever state we are, may we be therewith content. Only 
assure us that thou wilt be with us in trouble, and, that at 
the end of the vale of tears, we shall enter Emmanuel's 
land, where the inhabitants no more say, I am sick ; 
where our sun shall no more go down, nor our moon 
withdraw itself, but God shall be our everlasting light, 
and the days of our mourning shall be ended. 

May our friends and relations be fellow-heirs with us 
of the grace of life. Let our house be the tabernacle 
of the righteous : let our children and servants be a seed 
to serve thee : and among none of those who surround 
this family altar, may there be weeping and wailing, 
and gnashing of teeth, when they shall see Abraham, 
and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of God, and they 
themselves shut out. 

Lord, help us all to view our religious opportunities as 
talents, for which we are accountable : to remember, that 
our greatest danger results from our highest privileges ; 
and to fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into 
thy rest, any of us should seem to come short of it. 

Thou hast determined the bounds of our habitation ; 
and by the events of thy providence, many of those in 



66 FIRST WEEK. 

whose society we delight, are separated from us. When 
we are absent in body, may we be often present in spirit. 
We commend our absent friends and kindred to thy cove- 
nant care. May no evil tidings concerning them, wound 
our hearts : spare them in mercy : may we often embrace 
each other in circumstances of health and comfort : or if 
we have had our last interview on earth, may we all meet 
in our heavenly Father's house, and be for ever with each 
other, and for ever with the Lord. 

*In the duties of this day, be graciously pleased to be 
with us. Preserve us from temptations, and the allure- 
ments of the world. Defend us from danger, and pre- 
pare us for whatever may be thy will in regard to us. 
In all circumstances may we evince the Christian spirit : 
be kept from anger, and pride, and ambition ; from envy, 
hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness. May we be 
diligent in business ; fervent in spirit ; serving the Lord ; 
rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing in- 
stant in prayer ; distributing to the necessity of saints ; 
given to hospitality. May we rejoice with them who 
do rejoice, and weep with them who weep. Help us to 
provide things honest in the sight of all men ; and to live 
peaceably with all. To the end of our lives may we be 
the humble and consistent followers of Jesus Christ, so 
that at last, through his merits, we may, with all thy 
people, be admitted to the joys of thy kingdom above.* 

And to the only wise God, our Saviour, be praise and 
glory everlasting. Amen. 



TUESDAY EVENING. Jai/. 

Thou King of Glory, we desire to approach thy 
divine Majesty with reverence and godly fear, and to 
worship thee in the beauty of holiness. Every perfection 
adorns thy nature, and sustains thy throne. The heavens 
are thine ; the earth also is thine : the world is thine, and 
the fulness thereof. Thy power formed the universe from 
nothing. Thy wisdom has managed all its multiplied con- 



FIRST WEEK. 67 

cerns, presiding over nations, families, and individuals, 
and numbering the very hairs of our head. Thy good- 
ness is boundless ; the eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou 
givest them their meat in due season. Thou^openest thine 
hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. How 
precious are the thoughts of thy mercy and §race — and so 
excellent is thy loving kindness, that even the children of 
men put their trust under the shadow of thy wing. 

Thou art the blessed and happy God. 0, teach us to 
place our happiness in thyself. May we never seek the 
living among the dead, nor ask with the deluded many, 
Who will show us any good ? But, may we prize the light 
of thy countenance ; implore the joy of thy salvation ; and 
passing by the attractions of creatures, be able to say, 
Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon 
earth that I desii-e beside thee. 

Thou hast been infinitely more attentive to our happi- 
ness than we ever have been, or ever can be. Thou 
madest man upright, and when, by voluntary transgres- 
sion, we fell away from thee, thou didst not treat us with 
the severity or the neglect we deserved. In thy love 
and pity thou wast pleased to provide for us a Saviour, 
who bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, and put 
away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

Apply this redemption to our hearts, by the justifica- 
tion of our persons, and the sanctification of our natures. 
We confess our transgressions — Have mercy upon us. 
We are heavy laden — Give us rest. We are ignorant — 
Make us wise unto salvation. We are helpless — Let thy 
strength be made perfect in our weakness. We are poor 
and needy — Bless us with all the unsearchable riches of 
Christ. May we run and not be weary, and walk and not 
faint. And though perplexities, and trials, and dangers 
await us, yet may we travel on, unchecked and undis- 
mayed, knowing, thou hast said, I will never leave thee, 
nor forsake thee. 

Thus far, blessed be thy name, thou hast led us on, and 
we have found thee faithful to thy promises. We have 
had our sorrows ; but thou hast been a very present help 



68 FIRST WEEK. 

in every time of trouble. We have had our fears ; but 
thou hast not suffered the enemy to triumph over us. 
We have sometimes been on the verge of despair, and 
have said, I am cast out of thy sight : but we have been 
enabled to look again towards thy holy temple ; and the 
shadow of death has been turned in the morning. Hitherto 
hath the Lord helped us. Thy vows are upon us, God : 
we will render praises unto thee, for thou hast delivered 
our souls from death : wilt not thou deliver our feet from 
falling, that we may walk before God in the light of the 
living ? 

We would feel the connexions which unite us to others, 
and by sympathy, and prayer, and praise, make their mise- 
ries and mercies our own. We would rejoice with those 
that rejoice, and weep with those that weep. Provide 
support and employment for the poor. Make the wi- 
dow's heart to sing for joy : and in thee, may the father- 
less find mercy. Visit those who are on beds of sickness, 
and prepare them for thy pleasure ; that if they live, it 
may be to serve thee. Bless our nation. May every 
department of the nation be under the control of infinite 
wisdom and goodness ; and let righteousness and peace be 
the stability of our times. Do good, in thy good pleasure, 
unto Zion ; build thou the walls of Jerusalem : and may 
all our churches, like the original disciples, continue 
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, 
and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 

Protect and refresh us through the night season : and 
then cause us to hear thy loving kindness in the morn- 
ing : for in thee do we trust : cause us to know the way 
wherein we should go, for we lift up our souls unto 
thee. We implore it through the intercession of thy 
dear Son, and our Saviour. 

And blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be 
unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. 



FIRST WEEK. 69 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. Jay. 

Thou Most High ! enable us to feel, and to express, 
becoming regards towards thee, as the Creator of the 
ends of the earth, the Preserver of men, the Governor of 
the universe, the Judge of all, the Saviour of sinners. Thy 
greatness is unsearchable, and thy goodness is infinite. It 
is because thy compassions fail not, that we are not con- 
sumed. Thou hast not only prolonged our unworthy lives 
under numberless provocations, but thou hast afi'orded us 
every needful supply and indulgence. Thy mercies have 
been new every morning and every moment. Through 
thy good hand upon us we have been rescued from the 
perils of another night ; our repose has been unterrified 
and undisturbed ; sleep has refreshed our bodies, and re- 
newed our strength ; and we find ourselves surrounded, 
at the commencement of another day, with all our accus- 
tomed privileges. 

But, God, we can never be sufficiently thankful that 
we have our existence in a Christian country, and where 
we can hear words, by which we may be saved. 0, how 
important, how suitable, how encouraging are the dis- 
coveries, the doctrines, the promises, the invitations of 
the gospel of peace ! We are lost ; but here is presented 
to us a free, full, and everlasting salvation. We are left 
without strength ; but here we learn, that help is laid on 
one that is mighty. We are poor and needy ; but here 
we behold the unsearchable riches of Christ. We are 
blind and ignorant ; but in him are hid all the treasures 
of wisdom and knowledge. We thank thee, God, for 
thine unspeakable gift, and we cordially accept of thy 
mercy extended to us, through the mediation of thy dear 
Son. We rejoice that he has been delivered for our of- 
fences, and raised again for our justification ; and that he 
is now exalted at thy right hand, to be a Prince and a Sa- 
viour. We abandon every other refuge to hide in, and 
every other foundation to build upon, and make him our 
only hope, and our only confidence. And while we do- 



70 FIRST WEEK. 

pend on his death, and make mention of his righteous- 
ness only, we admire his example, and desire to be con- 
formed to his image. May we put on the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and increasingly resemble him, whose life was 
beneficence; whose soul was meekness and humility; 
who pleased not himself; and who, of obedience the 
most trying and difficult, could say, I delight to do thy 
will, my God, yea, thy law is within my heart. May 
his glory fill our minds ; may his love reign in our afi*ec- 
tions ; and at his cross, and at his tomb, may we burn 
with ardour to live, not to ourselves, but to him that 
died for us and rose again. 

Let the number of his followers daily increase ; and 
may none of our friends be found among his enemies. 
Pour thy Spirit upon our seed, and thy blessing upon 
our offspring. Let our sons be as plants grown up in 
their youth, and our daughters as corner-stones, polished 
after the similitude of a palace. May our domestics be 
the servants of God; may they do his will from the 
heart ; and be prepared for that world, where those who 
serve will be as those who are served, and all the distinc- 
tions now necessary, will be done away, and none re- 
main, but those which arise from character. And what- 
ever be our conditions in life, may we fill them as Chris- 
tians ; may we escape the snares to which they expose 
us ; discharge the duties that grow out of their circum- 
stances ; enjoy with moderation and gratitude their ad- 
vantages ; and improve with decision and diligence, their 
opportunities and resources of usefulness. May every 
place, and every company, in which we are found, be 
benefited by us. 

And whatever may be the opinion of our fellow crea- 
tures concerning us, may we be satisfied and happy, in 
having the testimony that we please God. We are now 
going forth into the concerns of another day. Take us 
under thy protection and influence. Guide us in all our 
steps. Enable us to realize thy presence and^thy pro- 
vidence. Succeed us in all our lawful endeavours, or 
prepare us for disappointment ; and assure us that we 



FIRST WEEK. 71 

are in the number of those to whom all things are work- 
ing together for good; and who will forever acknow- 
ledge — marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, 
just and true are all thy ways, thou King of saints. 
*We ask these mercies, sensible of our guilt and un- 
worthiness. We come not in our own names, and we 
plekd no merit of our own. We come in the worthy 
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, and 
who ever lives to make intercession for us ; and we desire 
to ascribe to him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, 
all praise, power, glory, and dominion, both now and 
forever.* Amen. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. Ja^/. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, we desire to acknow- 
ledge thy being and agency ; to adore thy perfections, 
and to admire the works of thy hands. Thou hast made 
summer and winter. Thou hast appointed the moon for 
seasons, and the sun knoweth his going down. The day 
is thine ^ the night also is thine : and thou makest the 
outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoice. 
To that throne, from which none were ever sent empty 
away, we again approach for mercy and grace to help in 
time of need. Let our prayer come before thee as in- 
cense, and the lifting up of our hands as the evening 
sacrifice. Preserve us from formality in these exercises 
in which we so daily engage ; and alarm our fears, lest we 
should provoke thee to say. In vain do they worship me. 

For this purpose, enable us to realize thine all-seeing 
eye, to remember with whom we have to do, and what 
we have to do with him : may we deeply feel the guilt 
of the sins we confess, and hunger and thirst after the 
blessings we implore. And while we review the num- 
berless blessings we have received from thy hands, may 
we be more than ever sensible of our unworthiness, that 
our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we 
may be disposed to show forth thy praise, not only with 



72 FIRST WEEK. 

our lips, but In our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy 
service, and walking before thee in holiness and right- 
eousness all our days. 

He that is our God is the God of salvation, and unto 
God the Lord belong the issues from death. We bless 
thee this evening as the preserver of men. Another day 
has been added, by thy good providence, to the season 
of thy long suffering, and the time of our preparation for 
eternity. We lament that the design of our being placed 
and continued here, has been so imperfectly subserved ; 
that in so many things we have offended, and in all, come 
short of the glory of God. If, where much is given, 
much will be required, and the servant who knew his 
Lord's will and did it not, shall be beaten with many 
stripes — if thou. Lord, should mark our iniquities, 
Lord, who shall stand ? We cannot answer thee for one 
of a thousand of our transgressions : the review of a single 
day is enough to plunge us into despair — our only relief 
is, that there is forgiveness with thee ; and that with thee 
there is plenteous redemption. 

But while we hope in thy mercy, we would not abuse it. 
We would not sin that grace may abound ; or be evil, be- 
cause thou art good. But since thou art good, and ready 
to forgive, we would the more sincerely grieve, that ever 
we have offended a Being, so worthy of our devotedness, 
and be the more concerned in future, to walk so as to 
please thee. 

Create in us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit 
within us. Set a watch, God, upon our mouth ; keep 
the door of our lips. And in simplicity and godly sin- 
cerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by thy grace, may 
we have our conversation in the world, and in the church, 
and in the family. 

We again commend ourselves to thy care. As thou 
hast been through the day, our sun and our shield, be 
thou through the night, our shade and our defence. Un- 
disturbed by anxieties, unalarmed by fears, undistressed 
by pain or indisposition, may we retire and enjoy repose. 
Remind us, by putting off our garments, and lying down 



FIRST WEEK. 73 

to sleep, of putting off the body, and sleeping in the grave, 
the house appointed for all living. Prepare us for the 
night of death, the morning of the resurrection, and the 
day of judgment. 

And all we implore is, through the mediation of Him, 
who bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the 
transgressors, to whom, with the Father, and the Holy 
Spirit, be endless prayers. Amen. 



THURSDAY MORNING. Ja^. 

Lord our God, blessed is the man whom thou 
choosest, and causest to approach unto thee. In thy 
presence there is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand 
there are pleasures forever more. With thee is the 
fountain of life, and in thy light alone can we see light. 

We therefore entreat thy favour, with our whole heart. 
We acknowledge that we have forfeited all claims to it ; 
and if we had no better ground of hope than our deserv- 
ings, we must sink into despair. For against thee, thee 
only have we sinned, and done evil in thy sight, that thou 
mightest be justified when thou speakest, and clear when 
thou judgest. 

But with thee there is mercy, and with thee there is 
plenteous redemption. We bless thee for the assurance, 
that thou hast sent thine own Son into the world, not to 
condemn the world, but that the world, through him, 
might be saved. We rejoice, that neither the number 
nor heinousness of our transgressions, is a bar to that for- 
giveness, which is founded on the sufferings and sacrifice 
of the cross. The blood of Jesus Christ, thy Son, cleanseth 
from all sin. Graciously absolve us from our guilt ; and 
pronounce our discharge from all condemnation, that be- 
ing justified by faith, we may have peace with God and 
enjoy the glorious liberty of thy children. 

But, 0, save us from the hope of the hypocrite, which 
shall perish. Never suffer us to impose upon ourselves, 
in any thing that relates to our eternal state. May we 
4 



71 FIRST WEEK. 

never suppose that we are in Christ, unless we are new 
creatures ; or that we are born of the Spirit, unless we 
mind the things of the Spirit. May we never rest satis- 
fied with any professions of belief or any outward forms 
or services, while the heart is not right with God. May 
we judge of our sincerity in religion, by our fear to offend 
thee ; by our concern to know what thou wilt have us to 
do ; and by our willingness to deny ourselves, and take up 
our cross and follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. 

May nothing render us forgetful of thy glory ; may 
nothing turn us aside from thy commands ; may nothing 
shake our confidence in thy promises. Take from us the 
evil heart of unbelief; the cause of all our waverings and 
wanderings : may we believe, that we may be established 
in our goings, and be always abounding in the work of 
the Lord. 

Prepare us for whatever we have to meet with, between 
this morning and the grave. We know not what lies 
before us ; but thou knowest, and thy grace can make 
u^ sufiicient for every service and every sufi*ering. 

Let not our temporal occupations ever injure our 
spiritual concerns ; or the cares of this life make us for- 
get, or neglect, the one thing needful : may we learn the 
holy art of abiding with God in our callings ; of being in 
the world without being of it ; and of making every thing 
not only consistent with religion, but conducive to it. 

May we do, and may we say nothing, by which we 
shall offend against the generation of thy children. May 
we bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please our- 
selves. May we restore a brother that has been over- 
taken in a fault, in the spirit of meekness, considering 
ourselves, lest we also be tempted. 

Bless those who have done us good, and render seven 
fold into their own bosom, and forgive those who have 
done us evil, and enable us to forgive them. 

Bless those who are near and dear to us ; may they 
be near and dear to thee. Bless them in their outward 
comforts ; but above all, may their souls prosper. 

Be gracious to our native land. Be mindful of our 



FIRST WEEK. 75 

rulers. Teach our senators wisdom ; and so control the 
minds and hearts of those who are entrusted with the 
public welfare, as that they may glorify thee, and secure 
the best good of the people. Bless the gates of Zion, 
and all the dwellings of Jacob. Let thy secret reside 
in the families of them that fear thee ; and may those 
that have neglected to call upon thy name, immediately 
adopt the resolution of Joshua, As for me and my house, 
we will serve the Lord. 

*To thy merciful providence we owe it, that we have 
been preserved another night. We thank thee that thou 
hast kept us from the pestilence that walketh in dark- 
ness, and the destruction that wasteth by noonday. We 
thank thee that thine eyes have been open towards us, 
and that no plague has come nigh our dwelling. May 
we realize this morning that our lives are thy gift, and 
that we are brought under renewed obligations to devote 
ourselves to thy service. With this feeling deeply en- 
graved on our souls, with a deep and solemn conviction 
that all we have is thine, may we go forth to meet the 
various trials, dangers, and duties of the day before us. 
May we go forth to our work and our labour until even- 
ing, under thy merciful providence. Bless thou the 
work of our hands ; and at the close of the day gather 
us together in safety and in health, to offer to thee an 
acceptable sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving."^ 

• This morning sacrifice, we offer in the all prevailing 
name of our adorable Redeemer — and unto Him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 
and hath made us kings and priests unto God, and to 
his Father, to him be glory and dominion, for ever and 
ever. Amen. • 



THURSDAY EVENING. Jai/. 

God, all thy works praise thee, and thy saints bless 
thee. By thy mercies, we again surround this family 
altar, and engage in the exercises of devotion. May we 



76 FIRST WEEK. 

worship thee, a holy God, in the beauty of holiness ; and 
worship thee, who art a Spirit, in spirit and in truth. 
Such worship alone thy word requires ; but such wor- 
ship, thy grace alone can enable us to render. For we 
know, from thy word, and from our own experience we 
know, that without thee, we can do nothing. All our 
sufficiency is of thee : do thou work in us to will, and to 
do, of thy good pleasure. 

We would call to remembrance our true character and 
condition before thee. We would not go about to es- 
tablish our own righteousness, or seek to deny or exten- 
uate our guilt. We are not only unprofitable servants, 
but condemned criminals. We confess the number and 
ofi*ensiveness of our transgressions, and acknowledge that 
we deserve to perish. But we bless thee for the ever- 
lasting consolation and good hope, through grace, which 
the gospel aJBFords ; for the news of a Mediator between 
thee and us ; of a High Priest who has put away sin 
by the sacrifice of himself; of an Advocate with the 
Father, who ever lives to make intercession for us, and 
of a Saviour, in whom it has pleased thee, that all ful- 
ness should dwell. 

Produce in us, all the feelings of those who are blessed 
with repentance unto life. Give us that faith by which 
we can be justified from all things, and have peace with 
God, through our Lord Jesus Christ. To the Redeemer's 
cross may we retreat, and there find security and relief, 
refreshment and delight. Assure us of an interest in thy 
favour, which is life; and clothe us with thine image, 
which is the beauty and dignity of the soul. 

We bless thee for thy word, which we have been 
reading. May it dwell in us richly in all wisdom. May 
we yield a suitable attention to its various parts. May 
we make it, not only our song in the house of our pil- 
grimage, but the man of our counsel, a light unto our 
feet, and a lamp unto our paths. May we take it along 
with us, into all the concerns of life ; and whether we 
are rich or poor, whether we are parents or children, 
whether we are appointed to govern or serve, may we 



FIRST WEEK. 77 

walk by this rule, that mercy and peace may be upon 
us. 

May we ever be willing that the Lord should choose 
our inheritance for us, and readily and piously accom- 
modate ourselves to the dispensations of thy providence. 
May we never lean to our own understanding : may we 
never take a step, without asking counsel of the Lord, 
nor be unwilling to take one, at the intimation of thy 
pleasure. May we never think that thou art less wise, 
and righteous, and good, in a cloudy and dark day, than 
in a shining one ; when we cannot trace thee, may we 
trust ; and walking by faith, and not by sight, be fully 
persuaded, that just and right are all thy ways, thou 
King of saints. 

Regard those, who, under the pressure of affliction, are 
saying. Brethren pray for us. Be with them in trouble. 
Thou knowest the anxieties of thy people, lest by any of 
their temper or carriage in the evil day, they should in- 
jure the religion they profess: let thy grace be sufficient 
for them : let faith and patience have their perfect work : 
let them glorify thee in all their trials. 

Bless all in authority over us, and so rule their hearts 
and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wicked- 
ness and vice, and maintain true religion and virtue. 

May all those who are placed above others in condi- 
tion, go before them in the profession of truth and the 
practice of holiness, and be examples to all inferior ranks 
in society. 

*We now commit ourselves to thy merciful protection 
for this night. May we lie down to rest, at peace with 
thee, and with all the world. Forgive, we humbly pray 
thee, all the sins we may have committed this day. What- 
ever we have done or said amiss, do thou pardon. If in 
our intercourse with our friends or foes we have mani- 
fested a spirit unlike that of thy dear Son, do thou be 
graciously pleased to forgive it. If we have neglected 
our duty to the poor, or the needy ; if we have failed in 
setting a holy example before each other ; if we have had 
improper feelings towards thee, or our fellow men, we 



78 FIRST WEEK. 

pray thee to forgive us. Sprinkle upon us that blood 
which cleanseth from all sin ; and take us into thy holy 
care and keeping. Let no plague come nigh our dwell- 
ing. Preserve us from sickness and sudden death; 
from alarm, and from the devouring element ; from the 
pestilence that walketh in darkness, as thou hast done 
from the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. And 
raise us in the morning, fitted for all the duties and 
events of another day. These mercies, and whatever 
else we need, we humbly ask in the name of thy dear 
Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ ; to whom, with thee, and 
the Holy Ghost, be all honour and praise, both now and 
for ever.* Amen. 



FRIDAY MORNING. Jai/. 

Our voice shalt thou hear in the morning, Lord : in 
the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, thou 
Most High ! How does it become us to be thankful ! 
Many, during the past night, have had no place where 
to lay their head. Many, the victims of disease, have 
been full of tossing to and fro, until the dawning of the 
day ; so that their bed has not comforted them, nor their 
couch eased their complaint. Many have been deprived 
of rest while watching over their connexions in pain and 
sorrow. How many have slept the sleep of death, and 
will not wake till the heavens are no more ! Others, 
whose lives are prolonged, have risen to be surrounded 
with want and wo : and thousands, who have all things 
richly to enjoy, have risen to enjoy another day without 
God in the world. 

And why is not this the case with us ? Thou, God, 
hast remembered, and distinguished, and indulged us. 
Bless the Lord, our souls, and all that is within us 
bless his holy name. magnify the Lord, and let us 
exalt his name together. 

And thy mercies have been new every morning, yea, 
every moment. AH our desires have not been gratified ; 



FIRST WEEK. 79 

but It was love that denied us, when the accomplishment 
of our wishes would have proved our ruin or our injury ; 
we have had our trials, but they have been few compared 
with our sins ; they have been attended with numberless 
alleviations. 

Thou hast often wiped away our tears ; and restored 
peace to thy mourners. Thou hast never chastened us 
but for our profit ; we already see the design of many 
of our griefs, and can say, It is good for me that I have 
been afflicted ; and in all other cases where darkness yet 
clouds the dispensation, we desire to walk by faith. We 
believe that thou hast done all things well, and that thy 
work is perfect. 

But, what do we owe thee for the word of thy truth 
— the throne of thy grace — the Son of thy love — thy un- 
speakable gift ; what do we owe thee, that we have any 
reason to hope that we are in Christ, and free from all 
condemnation ; and that when he, who is our life, shall 
appear, we shall also appear with him in glory, and be 
forever with the Lord ! 

Surely, gratitude becomes us that will not evaporate 
in a morning acknowledgment with the lip, but such as 
will keep us in the fear of the Lord all the day long, 
and lead us to ask. What shall I render unto the Lord 
for all his benefits towards me ? We therefore, by the 
mercies of God, present our bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy and acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable 
service. 

And now, thou Author of all good, we come to thee 
for the grace another day will require — the grace its 
duties and events will require ; for we know not when we 
leave our apartments in the morning, what a day will 
bring forth. But we know that we are stepping into a 
wicked world, and that we carry about us an evil heart : 
we know that without thee we can do nothing : and we 
know that there is nothing with which we shall have any 
concern in the day, however harmless in itself, but may 
prove an occasion of sinning and falling, unless we are 
kept by the power of God. We, therefore, desire to 



80 FIRST WEEK. 

commit ourselves into thy holy keeping. Hold thou us 
up, and we shall be safe. Preserve our understandings 
from the subtlety of error; our affections from the love 
of idols ; our senses from the ungovernable impressions 
of outward objects; our character from every stain of 
vice, and our profession from every appearance of evil : 
and may the God of peace sanctify us wholly ; and may 
our whole spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless 
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

May we engage in nothing on which we cannot im- 
plore thy blessing, and to which we cannot welcome thy 
inspection. Prosper us in our lawful undertakings, or 
prepare us for disappointment. Give us neither poverty 
nor riches. Feed us with food convenient for us, lest 
we be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord ? 
or lest we be poor, and steal, and take the name of our 
God in vain. 

May every creature be good to us, being sanctified by 
the word of God and prayer. Teach us how to use the 
world as not abusing it. Enable us to improve our 
talents, and to redeem our time. May we walk in wis- 
dom towards them that are without, and in kindness 
towards them that are within ; and do good as we have 
opportunity unto all men, especially unto them that are 
of the household of faith. 

And unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and 
to present us faultless before the presence of his glory 
with exceeding joy : to the only wise God, our Saviour, 
be glory, and majesty, dominion, and power, both now 
and ever. Amen. 



FRIDAY EVENING. Jay. 

God, thy command and thy promise, our duty and 
our privilege, induce us to avail ourselves of every op- 
portunity of approaching the throne of thy grace. We 
are poor and helpless and needy. It is not in the power 
of men and angels to reach our cause ; and afford us the 



riRST WEEK. 81 

blessings we so mucli need, and so much desire. Our 
only hope is in the name of the Lord God, who made 
heaven and earth. 

But thou art over all ; and rich unto all that call upon 
thee; and thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek 
thee. We love to reflect upon the displays of thy per- 
fections; and to contemplate, what thou hast done for 
others as poor and destitute, as sinful and guilty, as we 
are : and to remember that thy hand is not shortened 
that it cannot save, nor thy ear heavy that it cannot 
hear. 

Behold a company of guilty suppliants at thy footstool. 
0, thou God of all grace, work thou in us to will and to 
do of thy good pleasure ; and vile as we are in ourselves, 
make us an eternal excellency, the joy of many genera- 
tions. Our understandings are darkened. Our hearts are 
hearts of stone. Our very conscience also is defiled. Our 
afi*ections are earthly and sensual. Open thou the eyes of 
our understanding. Give us hearts of flesh. Purify our 
consciences from dead works to serve the living God. 
Set our afi'ections on things that are above : and as he 
who has called us is holy, so may we also be holy in all 
manner of conversation and godliness. 

Deliver us from the bondage of corruption, and bring 
us into the glorious liberty of thy children ; that being 
made free from sin, and become servants unto God, we 
may have our fruit unto holiness, and our end everlasting 
life. 

Preserve us from all self-delusion, especially where 

our souls are concerned. May we never be flattered 

by the good opinion of our fellow-creatures, against the 

convictions of our own consciences ; but remember, that 

if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, 

and knoweth all things. May we never substitute mere 

opinions, and outward forms and ceremonies, in the room 

of that grace, which renews the soul and sanctifies the life. 

Ever keep alive in our minds the belief, that in Christ 

Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncir- 

cumcision, but a new creature : and in the examinations 
4 * 



82 FIRST WEEK. 

of our religious state and character, may we look after 
that kingdom, which is not meat and drink, but right- 
eousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 

Inspire us with a well-grounded hope of being, one 
day, presented before the presence of thy glory, when 
we shall see thee without obscurity, approach thee with- 
out sin, serve thee without imperfection, and enjoy thee 
without sorrow. How remote now do we often feel from 
this exalted state! And how improbable does it fre- 
quently seem that we should ever attain it ! We have 
never yet been better than a bruised reed, and a smoking 
flax : and thy patience alone could have borne with our 
imperfections and perverseness. Yet we trust the root 
of the matter is found in us ; and we bless thee, if thy 
grace — by which alone we are what we are, has caused 
us to loathe sin, and abhor ourselves, and to hunger and 
thirst after righteousness, and to place our happiness in 
serving and enjoying thee. 

And we pray, that our path may be as a shining light, 
that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Com- 
plete that which is lacking in our faith. Lead us into 
all truth ; and establish our hearts with grace. Fill our 
minds with the sublime and elevating objects of revela- 
tion, that worldly things may find there no room : and 
keep near us, all the affecting and awful motives of the 
gospel, that we may not be able to sin, — the view of 
thine all-seeing eye, a burning world, a judgment to come, 
•and the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And the Lord make us, also, to increase and abound 
in love, one towards another, and towards all men. Let 
all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and 
evil speaking, be put away from us, with all malice ; and 
may we be kind, one towards another, tender hearted ; 
forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, 
hath forgiven us. 

Prepare us for all the duties and trials that lie before us. 
We bless thee for thy promises, which provide against 
every want we feel ; and for every condition in which 
we can be found. In God will we praise his word. In 



FIRST WEEK. 83 

God have we put our trust. We will not fear what flesh 
can do unto us. Thou tellest our wanderings. Put thou 
our tears into thy bottle. Are they not in thy book ? 

We commend ourselves with all our relations and 
friends, this evening, to thy forgiving mercy, and provi- 
dential care. Thou, that givest thy beloved sleep, in- 
dulge us with refreshing repose : or if thou boldest our 
eyes waking in the night, may thy song be with us, and 
our prayer unto the God of our life. Guide us by thy 
counsel, through life, and afterward receive us to glory. 

And to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory, and 
majesty, dominion and power, for ever and ever. Amen. 



SATURDAY MOENING. Jay. 

Thou King eternal, immortal, and invisible — we 
would adore thee, and take shame to ourselves: and 
though allowed to approach thy divine majesty, we 
would never forget the sentiments of humiliation and 
contrition, which become such creatures as we are. 
Father ! we have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, 
and are not worthy to be called thy children : we are not 
worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Yea, we have 
merited thy displeasure ; and thy righteousness would be 
completely acquitted in our destruction. 

0, for hearts of flesh ! Lord, produce in us that sen- 
sibility of soul, which will lead us to feel our vileness, to 
deplore our guilt, and to cast ourselves at thy feet, ab- 
horring ourselves and repenting in dust and ashes. And 
impart to us that faith, which will enable us to hope in 
thy word, and derive strong consolation from the invita- 
tions and promises of the gospel. We are come to im- 
plore the greatest blessings the God of love can give : we 
are come to call thee, Abba Father ; to enter thy house ; 
to sit down at thy table ; to lean on thy arm ; to walk 
with God ; but we are not come unbidden or uncalled : 
Thou hast called us by thy grace ; and it is thy com- 
mandment that we should believe on the name of thy 



84 FIRST WEEK. 

Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we assent, we submit, we de- 
pend, we apply. Since he came into the world to save 
sinners, we take him as our Saviour ; and glory in him, 
as made to us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification 
and redemption. 

And 0, may our minds be fixed and filled with ad- 
miring thoughts of his person and offices ; may our hearts 
be inflamed with a sense of his boundless compassion and 
love. By the new and living way which he has not only 
revealed but consecrated for us, may we come to thee ; 
and enjoy all the advantages of a state of reconciliation 
and friendship with God. May the most open and fa- 
miliar intercourse be maintained between thee and our 
souls. To thee may we commit our way and our works ; 
and in every thing by prayer and supplication make 
known our requests unto God ; and be thou always near, 
to guide us and to defend; to relieve us in trouble, and 
to help us in duty. And may we walk humbly with our 
God ; wondering at the condescension, that deigns to re- 
gard our mean affairs ; the patience, that bears with our 
manners ; and the kindness, that employs so many means 
to advance our everlasting welfare. 

We grieve to think, that a world so full of thy bounty, 
should be so empty of thy praise. 0, that men would 
praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful 
works to the children of men. Bless the Lord, all his 
works, in all places of his dominion ; bless the Lord, 
my soul. 

Again thy visitation hath preserved our spirits. 
Through the dark and silent watches of the night, thou 
hast suffered no evil to befall us, nor any plague to come 
nigh our dwelling. And we are not only the living to 
praise thee, this morning, but the distinguished, and the 
indulged. Many who have seen the light of the day, as 
well as ourselves, are encompassed with want, and pain, 
and wretchedness ; but we have all things richly to enjoy. 

Thou takest pleasure in the prosperity of thy servants ; 
may we always take pleasure in the advancement of thy 
glory. Thou art never weary in doing us good ; may 



FIRST WEEK. 85 

we never grow weary in well doing. Thy mercies are 
new every morning ; every morning, by thy mercies, 
may we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and 
acceptable, which is our reasonable service. 

And to the God of our salvation, the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, the kingdom, the power, 
and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. 



SATURDAY EVENING. Ja^/. 

God, thou hast made, and thou upholdest all things 
by the word of thy power. Darkness is thy pavilion. 
Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. All nations 
before thee are as nothing. One generation passeth away, 
and another cometh ; and we are hastening back to the 
dust from whence we were taken. The heavens we be- 
hold will vanish away like the cloud that covers them ; 
and the earth we tread will dissolve like a morning 
dream; but thou art, from everlasting to everlasting, 
God over all, unchangeably the same, and thy years 
shall not fail. 

Infinitely great and glorious as thou art, we are thy 
ofispring and thy care. Thy hands have made us and 
fashioned us. Thou hast watched over us with more 
than parental tenderness. Thou hast holden our soul in 
life, and not sufiered our feet to be moved. Thy divine 
power has given us all things, not only necessary for 
life, but godliness. Bless the Lord, 0, our souls, and 
forget not all his benefits ; who forgiveth all our iniqui- 
ties ; who healeth all our diseases ; who redeemeth our 
lives from destruction; who crowneth us with loving 
kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth our mouth 
with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the 
eagles'. 

We raise this evening a fresh memorial, and inscribe 
it to the God of our salvation. Hitherto hath the Lord 
helped us. We have passed, not only through another 
day, but through another week. The sun has not smit- 



86 FIRST WEEK. 

ten us by day, nor the moon by night. We have been 
preserved in our going out, and coming in. But thine 
has been the vigilance, that turned aside the evils which 
threatened us. Thine have been the supplies that have 
nourished us. Thine the comforts that have indulged 
us. Thine the relations and friends that have delighted 
us. Thine have been the means of grace which have 
edified us ; and thine the book, which, amidst all our en- 
joyments, has told us, that this is not our rest; and in 
all our successes, that one thing is yet needful. 

Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies, but our 
imperfections and sins. These, God, we would not 
conceal, or palliate; but confess them, with a broken 
heart and a contrite spirit. 

In what a condition would we be this evening, were 
it not for the assurance that there is forgiveness with 
thee, that thou mayest be feared, and with thee plenteous 
redemption. Yet, while we hope for pardon through 
the blood of the cross, we pray to be clothed with humi- 
lity ; to be quickened in thy way ; and to be more de- 
voted to the things that belong to our everlasting peace. 

How soon has the week rolled away ! Its days have 
fled like a dream, a vapour, a shadow. So will all our 
days flee ; so will they all appear when the end arrives. 
0, help us to keep that end in remembrance ; and en- 
deavour to view things now, as they will appear from 
the borders of the grave. May we know how frail we 
are, that we may be cured of the folly of delay and in- 
decision ; and so number our days, that we may apply 
our hearts unto wisdom. 

May we call the approaching Sabbath a delight, the 
holy of the Lord, honourable ; and may we honour thee, 
in not doing our own ways, nor finding our own plea- 
sures, nor speaking our own words. May the private 
moments of the day, be sacred; and the social — inno- 
cent and edifying. And may we keep our foot, when 
we go to the house of God, and oS*er not the sacrifice of 
fools. Let us not go as they go, and sit as they sit, and 
hear thy words, but do them not. 



FIRST WEEK. 87 

Preserve us from trifling with the things of the soul 
and eternity, or trusting in those privileges, which un- 
improved, will only augment our guilt and our misery. 

Thy people, the Jews, were distinguished by thy fa- 
vours, above all the families of the earth; but wrath 
came upon them to the uttermost. The churches of 
Asia provoked thee to remove the candlestick out of its 
place ; and they were left in darkness. We have awful 
examples still nearer. How many, who once heard and 
professed the gospel, have been turned by the abuse of 
it into apostates and infidels, blasphemers and persecu- 
tors ; ten-fold more the children of hell than before ; 
while numbers, who yet maintain the form of godliness, 
are too hardened to feel the power of it. 

While, therefore, we go to thy house in the multi- 
tude of thy mercies, may we in thy fear worship towards 
thy holy temple ; for thou art greatly to be feared in the 
assembly of the saints. 0, let us not perish under 
means designed to save us. 0, let not the savour of life 
unto life, prove to us only the savour of death unto 
death. 

Make the place of thy feet glorious. Bring us to thy 
holy mountain, and if we are not made joyful in thy 
house of prayer, convince us, alarm us, humble us, ban- 
ish the spirit of the world from our hearts, and fill us 
with all the fulness of God. 

So we thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will 
give thee thanks forever, we will show forth thy praise 
throughout all generations. Amen. 



88 SECOND WEEK. 



SECOND WEEK. 



SABBATH MORNING. JenTcs. 

MOST blessed and gracious Lord our God, whose 
almiglity hand has brought us out of nothing, to what 
we are ; to see the light, and enjoy the comforts of life ; 
and whose free grace has called us out of a state of sin 
and ruin, to the hope of thy heavenly glory ! We bless 
thy name, that thou hast conducted us safe, through all 
states and events, and through all the trials and troubles 
in our lives, to see the comfortable light of this day ; and 
that we have yet a day of grace wherein to attend to the 
things belonging to our peace. We bless thee that thou 
hast consulted the good of our souls, as well as the glory 
of thy name, in setting apart this day for holy uses, to 
engage us to a solemn attendance upon the Lord; in 
whose service consists all our honour and happiness. 
how much higher might we have been in grace, and thy 
blessed favour — how much nearer to thee our God, and 
fitter for thy heavenly kingdom, had we rightly used, 
and conscientiously improved those seasons and means 
of grace, which thou hast been pleased to put into our 
hands, for the best advantage of our souls. 

But we have been unkind and cruel to our own souls, 
as well as disobedient and rebellious against our Lord ; 
many times frustrating the opportunities of appearing 
before thee ; shunning and neglecting the duties of thy 
holy service ; and even when we have set ourselves to 
seek thy face, it has been with such coldness, and dul- 
ness, and distraction, that thou mightest justly abhor our 
souls, despise our prayers, for any thing that there is in 
us or them, to recommend us to thy blessed favour and 
acceptance. 

But be thou pleased to look upon us in the Son of thy 



SECOND WEEK. 89 

love, the Lord our peace and righteousness ; and forgive 
us all that is past wherein we have neglected thy work, 
or ill-performed it, or done what is inconsistent with it. 
Help us, God of our salvation, and deliver us from the 
burden of our guilt ; and purge away all our sins for the 
glory of thy name ; that they may not stand as a parti- 
tion-wall, to hinder the desire of our souls from ascend- 
ing up to thee ; nor hinder the light of thy countenance 
from descending upon us. But let thy peace, and love, 
and favour shine on our souls ; that we may see the 
felicity of thy chosen, and with joy draw water out of 
the wells of salvation. 

let us not rest in any forms of godliness, denying 
the power thereof; nor take up with the name and show, 
and the profession of Christianity, but be swayed with 
its life, and power and spirit; that the gospel of our 
Lord, and the graces of the good Spirit of God may shine 
forth in our lives, to the glory of thee our heavenly 
Father ; and to the adorning of the doctrine of God our 
Saviour in all things. gracious God, be with us, and 
with all the ministers and stewards of thy holy things, 
who are this day to speak thy word to thy people : and 
furnish them with abilities suitable to their great work, 
that they may fitly apply themselves to the capacities, 
and to the necessities of their several hearers. And 
grant. Lord, unto us, and unto all the hearers of thy 
holy word, humble and teachable spirits ; to receive thy 
truth in meekness, and in the love of it, so as to profit 
and grow by it. do thou remove all the hinderances 
to our spiritual growth and improvement, that thy word 
may have free course, and be glorified among us. And 
let us this day go forth in the strength of the Lord God ; 
and prosper and increase with the increase of God, by 
thy grace and blessing accompanying our desires and 
endeavours ; till from serving thee imperfectly here upon 
earth, we may attain to glorify and enjoy thee, our God, 
in the perfection of holiness, and in those everlasting 
joys and glories of thy kingdom, which thou hast pre- 
pared for them that love thee. 



90 SECOND WEEK. 

^Attend, we beseech thee, with thy gracious help, all 
the endeavours that shall this day be made to promote 
the honour of thy holy name. Revive pure religion in 
all the churches of the Lord Jesus in this land, and 
throughout the Christian world ; and graciously extend 
thy kingdom over other people ; and bring distant na- 
tions to the knowledge of thy Son. Wherever amidst 
any people thy work may be commenced, wilt thou 
deepen and extend it. Wilt thou there this day especially 
bless thy truth, and upon those churches which are cold 
' or lukewarm in thy service, wilt thou send down thy 
Holy Spirit, that they may awake to newness of life 
and that thy power may there be seen in the conversion 
of sinners. Do thou mercifully restrain and reform the 
violators of the Holy Sabbath, and give them better 
minds and a due regard for thy holy laws. Be merci- 
ful to the profligate and profane. May they be inclined 
to reverence thy holy name. And may all classes and 
conditions of men be brought under the influence of re- 
ligion, and the time soon come when on this thy day, the 
offerings of the whole world, converted unto thee, shall 
come up on thine altars, and the entire race praise and 
adore thee for the riches of redeeming mercy.* 

And let thy grace and blessing, thy love and fellow- 
ship, thy direction and assistance, Heavenly Father, 
Son and Holy Spirit, be with us and with all whom we 
ought to beg thy mercy for in our prayers, this day, and 
for evermore. Amen. 



SABBATHDAY EVENING. JenJcs. 

Holy God, we are all as an unclean thing, and all our 
very righteousnesses are as filthy rags ; nor can we ever 
hope to be justified in thy sight, upon account of any 
works or worth of our own ; for by our own hearts and 
deeds we are reproved and condemned, and should be 
left speechless in thy judgment, if thou, Lord, shouldst 
call us to account, according to even our best service?. 



SECOND WEEK. 91 

But we desire to take refuge and sanctuary under the 
shadow of our crucified Saviour ; and to be found in him, 
not having on our own righteousness, but that which is by 
the faith of Jesus Christ, that all our sinful deformities 
may be hid from thine eyes ; that thou mayest forgive 
us mercifully, and receive us graciously, and love us 
freely in the Son of thy love, in whom thou art well 
pleased. 

Command a blessing, we pray thee, Lord, upon the 
word, which this day we have heard, and upon all the 
means of grace that have been used for the good of our 
souls. It is not of him that planteth, nor of him that 
watereth, but of thee, our God, who giveth the increase. 
be thou pleased to attend the preaching of thy word 
with the powerful influences of thy grace and Holy Spirit ; 
that it may be the savour of life to our souls, and the 
power of God to our salvation. 

*And we especially beseech of thee. Almighty Father, 
that thou wilt be pleased to follow with thy blessing the 
instructions imparted this day in Sunday schools. May 
the truths of thy holy word be deeply impressed on the 
minds of children, and may they grow up in the know- 
ledge and love of Jesus Christ the Saviour. May those 
truths so influence their minds and hearts, as to guide 
and comfort them in all the journey of life. Grant, 
Lord, that as they advance in years they may evince the 
benefits of the instruction received in Sabbath shools; 
and that this generation may be trained up devoted to 
thy cause, and prepared to promote thy glory, when 
their parents and teachers shall have descended to the 
tomb. 

Will the God of grace be also pleased to bless all Sun- 
day school teachers. Let their hearts be comforted by 
seeing thy work prosper in their hands. In their own 
souls may they experience the reward of their self-de- 
nials and toils ; and in thine everlasting kingdom may 
they at last be admitted to a seat at thy right hand 
with thousands saved by the instrumentality of Sabbath 
schools.* 



92 SECOND WEEK. 

Supply the want of thy public ordinances, we beseech 
thee, by the immediate teachings of thy good Spirit, to 
all such as through any unavoidable impediments are 
kept from them ; and continue to us, gracious Lord, 
the light of thy gospel, and all the happy opportunities 
which we enjoy for our souls' advantage. And preserve 
us also, by thy grace, from the curse of barrenness, under 
all thy holy means and abundant mercies. That they 
may not, therefore, hereafter rise up in judgment against 
us, make them now efficacious to us ; and write thy 
laws in our hearts, and cause them to accomplish all the 
purposes of thy grace in our souls, and to shine forth 
with a convincing splendour in our lives ; to make us 
every way such as thou wouldst have us. 

And now we give thanks, as we are infinitely bound, 
to thee, Lord God, our heavenly Father, for the mer- 
cies of this day ; and for thy great mercy and goodness 
that has hitherto followed us all the days of our lives. 
how wonderful is thy patience and long-sufiering, that 
thou shouldst all day long stretch forth thy hands to a 
rebellious and gainsaying people ! And how unwearied 
thy kindness and love, that we still enjoy so many com- 
forts with our lives. Blessed be thy name, most 
merciful Father, that thou hast defended us from so many 
dangers in our lives, which threatened to destroy us ; 
and delivered us out of so many troubles, under which 
we should have sunk and perished, if thou hadst not 
been nigh to us, and done great things for us. We bless 
thee for our health and plenty, peace and liberty ; for 
the use of our reason, limbs and senses ; for the kindness 
of friends, and safety from our enemies ; for the benefits 
and refreshments of society, and the success and pros- 
perity of our affairs here in the world. But above all, 
we bless thee for the mercies and blessings relating to 
the world to come ; for Jesus Christ, and all spiritual 
blessings in heavenly things in him tending to the salva- 
tion of our souls ; for remembering us in our low estate, 
and sending eternal redemption to us by the hands of 
thy dear Son ; for the light and direction of thy word ; 



SECOND WEEK. 93 

for the teachings and strivings, the aids and consolations 
of thy Spirit ; for all the means and helps which we 
have to do us good ; for all thy grace wrought in us, and 
bestowed upon us ; and for all the discoveries and hopes 
of eternal glory which thou hast given to us. how 
infinitely indebted are we to the kindness and love of 
God our Saviour ! that we may ever be sensible and 
thankful as we ought ! And with all that thou hast 
given us, blessed God, give us hearts filled with thy 
love, and lifted up in thy praise, and devoted to thy 
honour and service. 

And help us, Lord our God, to glorify thy name, 
not only in speaking to thy praise, but so entirely de- 
voting ourselves to thy pleasure, that we may be thine 
in faithfulness, and in the sincerity of our hearts, even 
all the days of our lives. 

make us truly penitent, and humbled for all which 
this day we have done amiss, and make us unfeignedly 
thankful for all the good that we have received ; and for 
all which thou hast, in any manner or measure, enabled 
us to do aright. The evil is from ourselves alone, and 
to us belong shame and confusion of face for it ; but all 
the good is of thy free grace, and thy mere mercy ; and 
to thy blessed name, Lord our God, be all the praise 
and glory rendered, with the most sensible and grateful 
hearts, now and for evermore. Amen. 



MONDAY MORNING. Jenlcs. 

Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering, 
and abundant in goodness and truth ! Thou keepest 
mercy for thousands, pardonest iniquity, transgression 
and sin, and dost not retain thy anger forever, because 
thou delightest in mercy. How excellent is thy loving- 
kindness, God ! therefore do the sons of men put their 
trust under the shadow of thy wings. And therefore do 
we desire still to look up to that bountiful hand of thine, 
from whence we have received all our good things. 



91 SECOND WEEK. 

Lord our God ! be thou pleased to look down mercifully 
upon us, and be gracious and favourable to us, as thou 
art unto those that love thy name. look not upon the 
sins of our hearts and lives ; which are more than we 
can remember, and greater than we can express ; and 
such as make us seem vile, even in our own eyes, and 
so highly guilty before thy holy Majesty, that it is of 
the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because thy 
compassions fail not. But behold us in mercy, through 
the merits and mediation of thy Son our Saviour, who 
did no sin, and was manifested that he might take away 
our sins : by whom it is that we have this access to the 
Majesty on high, and encouragement to come into thy 
presence, to ask what we need. 

And seeing there is in Christ Jesus an infinite fulness 
of all that ever we can want or wish to make us holy, 
and to make us most blessed eternally, that we may 
all receive of his fulness grace sufficient for us ; to par- 
don our sins and subdue our iniquities ; to justify our 
persons, and to sanctify our souls ; and to complete upon 
our hearts and lives that holy renovating change, which 
may still more and more transform us into the blessed 
image after which thou didst create us ; and make us 
still more meet to be partakers of the inheritance of thy 
saints in light. 

And teach us, Lord our God, to use this world with- 
out abusing it, and to enjoy the things of it, without losing 
our part in thy love, which is better than life. Whatever 
we have of the world, may we have the same with thy 
leave and love, sanctified to us by the word of God, and 
prayer ; and by the right employment and improvement 
thereof to thy glory, wiio art the gracious Giver of all 
our good things. And whatsoever we want of the things 
of this life, Lord, our heavenly Father, leave us not 
destitute of any of those things that accompany salvation, 
but adorn our souls with all such graces of thy Holy 
Spirit, as may enable us to adorn the doctrine of God 
our Saviour in all things, by such a conversation as does 
become it. 



SECOND WEEK. • 95 

' Help us, gracious Lord, in the whole of our duty to 
thee our God ; and also in the discharge of all relative 
duties which we owe to men, whether superiors, equals, 
or inferiors, all with whom we have our conversation in 
the world : that we may w^alk wisely toward them that 
are without, and kindly toward them that are within ; 
and not to be justly offensive unto any ; but, what in us 
lies, useful and beneficial to all. And thus let us pass 
the time of our sojourning here, in thy fear and favour, 
and to thy honour and glory ; that at our last review 
thereof, thy name may have the praise, and our souls 
the comfort, in the hour of death, and in the great day 
of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

*Let the spirit of thy holy Sabbath go with us into the 
duties of this week. May we, in all our employments, 
have that seriousness, calmness, peace, prayerfulness, and 
conscientiousness, which the observance of thy holy day 
is fitted to produce. May thy truth be seasonably brought 
to our remembrance. May we be enlightened by that 
truth in the knowledge of our duty to thee, and to our 
fellow creatures. Suffer us not to become worldly 
minded — to be influenced inordinately, by the things of 
this life ; or to forget that thy people are advancing to 
a world of eternal purity and love. Amid all our 
worldly employments, may we remember that our trea- 
sure should be laid up in a world where moth and rust 
do not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through 
nor steal. Amid all our perplexities and trials, may we 
remember that there remaineth a rest to the people of 
God, — and may we so live as to be prepared to enter 
upon that eternal Sabbath, which awaits Christians 
beyond the grave.* 

And now that thou hast renewed our lives and thy 
mercies to us this morning, help us, good God, to renew 
our desires, and resolutions, and endeavours, to live in 
the obedience of thy holy will, and to the honour of thy 
blessed name. restrain us from the evils and follies 
into which w^e are prone to fall ; and quicken us to the 
oiEces and duties which we are averse to perform. And 



96 . SECOND WEEK. 

grant that we may think and speak, and will and do, the 
things becoming the children of our heavenly Father ; and 
so find the strong consolation of thy gracious acceptance 
in Jesus Christ our Saviour; who, when we pray, has 
taught us to say, Our Father, &c. 



MONDAY EVENING.f • Jenhs. 

Lord our God ! thou art infinitely great, and infi- 
nitely good. Thy glory is above all our thoughts, and 
thy mercies are over all thy works. And above all thy 
mercies, have we cause to admire, and bless, and praise 
thee for those mercies which, in so large a measure, and 
especial manner, thou hast been pleased still to vouchsafe 
unto us, who are daily objects of thy bounty, and who 
continue still the living monuments of thy goodness. 

Thou didst create us, Lord, after thy own blessed 
image, in an holy and happy estate ; but we have made 
ourselves vile and miserable, averse to good and prone 
to evil. But thou hast so far declared thy willingness 
to be reconciled even to thy enemies, that thou hast sent 
thy only Son into the world, upon the great errand of 
our salvation ; that whosoever believe in him, should not 
perish in their sins, but have everlasting life, for his sake. 
Lord, we believe, help our unbelief; and give us the 
true repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus 
Christ ; that we may be of the number of those who do 
indeed repent and believe, to the saving of the soul. 

And save us, good Lord, from our sinful selves, and 
from the love and course of this present evil world, and 
from every self-destroying way which we are tempted 
to follow. Make us a way to escape, out of all the snares 
of temptation, wherewith we have been entangled and 
held, and hindered in running the race set before us. 
Make thy ways plain before us. Establish, Lord, and 
strengthen and settle us ; that going forth in thy strength, 

t The second Monday in the month is extensively observed as a con- 
cert of prayer for Sunday schools. 



SECOND WEEK. 97 

we may do thy will to all well-pleasing ; and continue in 
thy fear and love to our lives' end. 

Which things we beg, not for ourselves alone, but also 
in behalf of all whom we ought to intreat thy mercy for 
in our prayers. bring nigh unto thee all those that 
are yet afar off; and make manifest the savour of thy 
knowledge in every place ; that such as yet sit in dark- 
ness and in the shadow of death, may come to see the 
light of thy truth, and the joy of thy salvation. that 
every one who names the name of Christ may depart 
from iniquity, and so live up to their high and holy pro- 
fession, that they may give no just occasion to the ene- 
mies of the Lord to blaspheme ; but adorn the doctrine 
of God, our Saviour, in all things, and so put to silence 
the ignorance of foolish men by well doing. 

Be gracious and favourable, Lord, in an especial 
manner, to thy church. Arise, God, and plead thy 
own cause, and maintain thy true, and holy religion, 
which thou hast so long and so wonderfully owned and 
asserted. let not the enemies of thy church ever have 
cause to say, that they have prevailed against thy people ; 
but let all that do espouse thy cause, and stand up for 
the honour and defence of thy truth, be still prevalent 
and prosperous in all their pious designs ; and still have 
cause to say, the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in 
the prosperity of his servants. 

*And on this day, set apart by many of thy people as 
a season of prayer for thy mercy on Sunday schools, we 
humbly implore thy blessing on all who are engaged in 
those schools as teachers, or learners. Enlighten by the 
Holy Spirit all teachers, that they may truly understand 
thy word. Make them the true friends of Jesus Christ. 
May they be endowed with his spirit of self-denial, pa- 
tience, humility, and prayer. May they evermore copy 
the example of Him who, when on earth, said. Suffer lit- 
tle children, and forbid them not to come unto me. While 
engaged in instructing the rising generation, in leading 
others to the cross of Christ, may they themselves be in- 
terested in thy promises, and sanctified by all their efforts 
5 



98 SECOND WEEK. 

to promote thy glory. And grant, gracious God, that 
their labours may be attended with thy blessing. Do thou 
send down thy Spirit on all Sunday schools, that the riling 
generation may grow up in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, 
and in preparation for great usefulness in the church, 
and in the state. May schools be established in all the 
destitute places of our land ; and all the means used to 
enlarge and perpetuate these blessings be crowned with 
success. Never suffer the zeal of thy people to languish 
in this cause, or thy ministers to forget their obligations 
to use every influence in their power to promote the re- 
ligious training of the rising generation. Hear and 
answer the prayers which this day may have been 
offered in behalf of Sunday schools ; excite in all thy 
people a spirit of benevolence ; and fill the earth with 
thy glory.* 

Comfort all that want the comforts which we enjoy. 
Remember with the favour which thou bearest to thy 
people, all our friends and benefactors, our kindred after 
the flesh, and whomsoever are dear to us, on any other 
account. Make them, Lord, such as thou wouldst have 
them, and such as, in Christ Jesus, thou wilt mercifully 
accept of them, here to thy gracious favour, and here- 
after to thy glorious kingdom. Forgive our enemies, 
and turn their hearts ; and turn ours to forgive them. 
And direct all our ways to please thee, that thou mayest 
make even our enemies to be at peace with us. 

Hear us, God of the spirits of all flesh ; hear us for 
ourselves and others ; others for themselves and us : and 
hear the Son of thy love, the lover of our souls, for us 
and all the members of thy church militant here on earth, 
whereof Christ Jesus in heaven is the glorious head. For 
him and to him with thine eternal self, most holy Fa- 
ther, and the blessed Spirit of grace, our Guide and Com- 
forter, be all thanks and praise, and honour, and glory, 
humbly and heartily rendered and ascribed of us, and 
all thy people, now and for evermore. Amen. 



SECOND WEEK. 



TUESDAY MORNING. Jenks. 

LoRDj thou art the God whose we are, and whom 
we ought to serve, with all the endowments and abilities 
for thy service, wherewith thou hast blessed us. For 
thou hast laid upon us all the obligations of thy laws, 
and all the endearments of thy love, to be faithful in the 
covenant of our God, and to abound in the work of the 
Lord. And we desire to humble ourselves here before 
thee, that our lives have been so unserviceable to thee, 
and so full of provocation against thee ; that we have 
lived to ourselves, more than to the Lord and Giver of 
our lives ; and that we have served our own lusts and 
pleasures more than thy holy blessed will ; which is the 
rule of all righteousness, and in the performance whereof, 
there is the greatest reward. how we have disbelieved 
thy truths, disobeyed thy commands, disregarded thy 
promises and threats ! and resisted and defeated all thy 
gracious methods to reclaim us from the evil of our 
ways, and to bring us over entirely to thyself. 

We have sinned against thee, our God, to the infinite 
wrong and damage of our own souls, and by our sins we 
have spoiled and destroyed ourselves ; but it is not in us 
to recover and save ourselves. In thee alone is all our 
help. Yea, thou hast laid help upon one that is mighty 
and able to save to the uttermost all that come to God 
through him : through whom thou hast encouraged us to 
come boldly to thy throne of grace ; that we may obtain 
mercy, and find grace to help in every time of need. In 
him, therefore, we beg. Lord, that thou wilt be recon- 
ciled to us, and at peace with us ; as a Father of mer- 
cies, and a God of consolation. 

And for his sake, enable us also, we beseech thee, to 
demean ourselves as becomes the children of God, the 
redeemed of the Lord, and the followers of Jesus Christ. 
put such principles of grace and holiness into our hearts, 
as may make us to hate all iniquity, and every false way. 



100 SECOND WEEK. 

And put thy Spirit within us, causing us to walk in thy 
statutes, and to keep thy judgments, and to do them. Not 
only lay thy commands upon us, but be pleased, Lord, 
to enable us for the performance of eyery duty required 
of us. And so engage our hearts to thyself, that we may 
make it our meat and drink to do thy will ; and with en- 
larged hearts run the way of thy commands. make our 
services acceptable to thee while we live, and our souls 
ready for thee when we die. And as long as we are in 
this world, keep us, Lord our God, from the evil of 
it, and from the snares and dangers which thou knowest 
we are continually exposed to in it. make our passage 
safe and sure, through all the changes, troubles, tempta- 
tions, and various conditions of this mortal life, to the 
unchangeable glories and felicities of life everlasting. 

Be merciful to us, good Lord, and bless us, and keep 
us this day, in all our ways, and in all our lawful designs 
and undertakings ; and may we take nothing in hand, but 
what is warranted in thy word. O let us be in the fear 
of the Lord all the day long; let thy fear be ever before 
our eyes to restrain us from the things provoking to our 
God, and destructive to our souls. And let thy love 
abound in our hearts, and sweetly and powerfully con- 
strain us to all faithful and cheerful obedience, acceptable 
in thy sight, through him that has loved and redeemed 
us ; even the Lord our righteousness ; in whose blessed 
name, and the words of prayer which himself has taught 
us, we continue praying our Father, &c. 

The blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy 
Ghost, be with us, and with all that belong to us, this 
day, and for evermore. Allien. 



TUESDAY EVENING. JenJcs. 

Lord, thou art our gracious God, and our most 
merciful Father in Jesus Christ ; in whose great name, 
and prevailing mediation, alone it is that we, who have 
multiplied our offences against thee^ are encouraged still 



SECOND WEEK. 101 

to present our persons, and our prayers here befoTe thee. 
It is a privilege which we acknowledge ourselves utterly 
unworthy to enjoy, that thou shouldst admit us into thy 
service ; yea, into fellowship with thy blessed self. We 
dare not appear in the presence of such a holy glorious 
Majesty, in our own names, or trusting in any merits or 
righteousness in ourselves. But we come in the name 
and mediation of thy dear Son, whom thou dost infi- 
nitely love above all ; who has fully satisfied thy justice 
for our sins, and does continually intercede at thy right 
hand for our souls ; whom thou delightest to honour in 
sparing, accepting, and saving poor unworthy sinners 
upon his account. deliver us, most gracious Lord, for 
his sake, from all our transgressions ; and from all, of 
which thou, that are greater than our hearts, knowest us 
to be guilty. And seal to us a pardon, in his most pre- 
cious blood, which speaks better things in our behalf 
than we are able to do ourselves, in all our prayers. 

And may the time past of our lives suffice to have 
lived to ourselves, and to have served our own lusts and 
pleasures. Grant us new and clean, humble and contrite 
hearts, to tremble at thy word and presence, and to hate 
and abandon all our foolish and sinful misdoings. 

Hear us, Lord, for ourselves, and let our supplica- 
tions also ascend before thee in the behalf of all men 
living. Send thy word, and the means of grace to such 
as are yet destitute of them ; and make them efficacious, 
and the savour of life in those that do enjoy them. Con- 
vert the unconverted, and perfect thy good work where 
thou hast begun it. Give a check to all profaneness, 
vice, and ungodliness, that presumptuous sinners may 
be ashamed, and the Avickedness of the wicked may come 
to an end. make thy church to increase and flourish, 
and thy servants to prevail and rejoice. Be gracious 
and favourable to this land, and to the head and^overnors 
thereof, and to all inferior and particular members of it. 
do thou rule all our rulers, counsel all our counsellors, 
teach all our teachers, and turn and order all our public 
afi'airs, to the glory of thy name, to the welfare of thy 



102 SECOND WEEK. 

church, and to the happiness of this nation. Avert from 
us, we beseech thee, the judgments which we feel or 
fear, and continue to us the blessings and comforts for 
our bodies, and especially the helps and advantages for 
our souls, which through thy favour we do enjoy. And 
notwithstanding all the devices of the enemies of our 
peace, and all the great and crying provocations of our 
sins, be thou still our God, and let us be thy people. 

Think thoughts of pity and compassion to all the sons 
and daughters of affliction. sanctify thy fatherly cor- 
rections to them, support them under their several bur- 
dens, and in thy good time deliver them from all the 
pressures that are upon them. Be good to all our friends 
and neighbours, reward our benefactors, bless our rela- 
tions with the best of thy blessings, making them near 
to thyself by grace, as they are to us by alliance. Pre- 
serve us from our enemies, and reconcile them both to 
us and to thyself. that all the habitations of Christians 
may be houses of prayer, and be thou especially kind 
to the several families where thy blessed name is called 
upon. Let thy heavenly blessings, and thy saving grace, 
descend and rest upon us here in this family. guide 
us, and keep us ; make us wise and faithful in our duty, 
and prosperous and blessed in the issue. Fit us all for 
whatsoever thou shalt be pleased to call us to. teach 
us how to want and how to abound ; and both in a pros- 
perous and suffering condition, secure our hearts to thy- 
self, and make us ever to approve ourselves sincere and 
faithful in thy service. 

And now, Lord, be pleased to accept our evening 
sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, to thee the Father 
of mercies, and fountain of all goodness, for the mercies 
of the day past, and for thy great mercy and goodness, 
that has hitherto followed us all the days of our lives. — 
For our lives have been filled with thy mercies, and 
thou hast abounded towards us in loving-kindness, and 
variety of thy sweet and comfortable blessings, pertain- 
ing to this world, and a better ; passing by our innume- 
rable sins, as if thou sawest them not, thou goest on still 



SECOND WEEK. 103 

to oblige us with new favours. Lord, imprint and 
preserve upon our hearts a lively and grateful sense and 
remembrance of all thy kindness unto us, that our souls 
may bless thee, and all that is within us m.ay praise thy 
holy name. 

Yea, let us give thee thanks from the heart, and praise 
our God, whilst we have our being. And for all thy 
patience with us, thy care over us, and thy continual 
mercy to us, blessed be thy name, Lord God, our 
heavenly Father: and unto thee be all thanks, and 
praise, and love, and obedience, and honour, and glory, 
offered by us and all thine, every where, now and ever- 
more. Amen. 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. Jenks. 

Lord, the blessed God of our salvation ! thou art 
the hope of all the ends of the earth, upon whom the 
eyes of all do wait : for thou givest unto all life, and 
breath, and all things. In thee we ever live, and move, 
and are ; and upon thee we continually do depend for 
all the good that ever we have, or hope for. Still thou 
takest care of us, and watchest for good over us ; even 
in our rest and sleep, when we have not so much as any 
thoughts of caring for ourselves ; and daily thou renew- 
est to us our lives, and thy mercies ; every morning giv- 
ing us new occasions still for thy praise, and our thank- 
fulness. And thou hast given us the assurance of thy 
word, that if we commit our affairs to thee, and acknow- 
ledge thee in all our ways, thou wilt establish our 
thoughts, and direct our path. And therefore we de- 
sire, Lord, still to put ourselves under thy gracious 
conduct, and thy fatherly protection ; and to beg thy 
heavenly guidance and blessing, and assistance of thy 
good Spirit, to choose our inheritance for us ; and to 
dispose of us and of all that concern us, to the glory 
of thy name. 

Lord, withdraw not thy tender mercies from us, 



104 SECOND WEEK. 

nor the comforts of thy presence, nor the assistance of 
thy Spirit, for our great contempt and manifold abuses 
of all such grace and goodness. Never punish our past 
sins, by giving us over to the love and power of our 
sins ; but give us true penitent hearts for all the evils 
committed by us ; and thy merciful discharge from all 
the guilt that lies upon us. And grant us, God, the 
comfortable sense and apprehension of thy gracious ac- 
ceptance of us, and thy merciful intentions towards us 
in the Son of thy love, the lover of our souls : that our 
souls may bless thee, and all that is within us may praise 
thy holy name. 

And that we may find the joy of the Lord to be 
our strength, to enable us to contend against our sins ; 
especially the sins to which we are most addicted, and 
whereof we are in greatest danger ; and to make us also 
more ready to every good work, and better disposed for 
all the duties of piety, justice, charity, and sobriety, 
which we owe to thee our God, to our neighbour and 
ourselves : that herein we may experience ourselves to 
have always a conscience void of offence towards God, 
and towards men. help us to walk circumspectly, not 
as fools, but as wise ; carefully redeeming the time that 
we have lost, and conscientiously improving all those 
seasons, and means of grace which thou art pleased to 
put into our hands, for the best profit and advantage of ^ 
our souls. And while we are upon earth, give us all 
things needful and convenient for our present pilgrim- 
age ; and sanctify to us all our enjoyments, and all events 
that now befall us ; till, through the merits of thy Son, 
and the multitude of thy mercies, we are conducted safe 
to be ever with the Lord. Amidst all our other afiairs 
in this world, let us never forget or neglect the one 
thing needful ; but be in greatest care so to demean our- 
selves every day, as may forward our comfortable ac- 
counts in the great day of thy appearing and glory. 

gracious Father ! keep us, we beseech thee, this 
day in thy fear and favour ; and help us to live to thy 
honour and glory. If thou guide us not, we shall run 



SECOND WEEK. 105 

into errors; if thou preserve us not, we shall fall into 
dangers ; let thy good providence be our defence and 
security ; and let thy Holy Spirit be our guide and coun- 
sellor in all our ways. And grant that we may take the 
ways and courses agreeable to thy will, and acceptable 
in thy sight, through Jesus Christ ; in whose sacred name 
and words we close up these our imperfect requests to 
thee. Our Father, &c. 

Let thy grace, Lord Jesus Christ, thy love, 
heavenly Father, thy comfortable fellowship, holy 
blessed Spirit, be with us, and with all whom we ought 
to beg thy mercy for in our prayers, this day, and for 
evermore. Amen. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. JenJcs. 

Lord, our God, thou art most high and mighty, 
most wise, and holy, and good ! Thou art, and for ever 
wast, and for ever shalt continue, unspeakably blessed 
and glorious, above all that we are able to express or to 
conceive. Thou dost not need the services of men or 
angels to make the least addition to thy glory and bliss. 
Men cannot be profitable unto God ; our goodness will 
not extend to the Lord. But in kindness and love to 
our souls it is, that thou art pleased to lay thy commands 
upon us, to wait upon thee in these duties of thy imme- 
diate service. Thou humblest thyself even to behold 
the things that are in heaven, to take notice of the wor- 
ship of those blessed creatures above. how wonderful 
is thy condescension then, to look down upon us, poor 
sinful worms, that dwell here in houses of clay, whose 
foundation is in the dust ! Lord, what is man that thou 
takest knowledge of him, and the son of man that thou 
makest account of him ! Thou canst not at all need us, 
nor any thing of ours, blessed God ; but we all stand 
in great and continual need of thee, our only sovereign 
good; in need of thy mercy and forgiveness, thy grace 
and guidance, thy blessing and assistance ; without which 
5* 



106 SECOND WEEK. 

Tve could never hope to escape the curses and miseries 
which are the due Avages of our sins ; nor ever to attain 
to that glory and blessedness, which are the free gifts of 
God in Jesus Christ. 

The desire of our souls, therefore, is to thy name, 
Lord, and to the remembrance of thee. Our eyes are 
towards thee, and all our expectation is from thee : and 
still we wait, and call, and depend upon thee, till thou 
have mercy upon us, according to our several necessi- 
ties ; and according to the riches of thy grace, and the 
multitude of thy mercies. remember not against us 
our former iniquities ; enter not into judgment with us, 
according to the desert of our sins ; but according to thy 
mercy remember thou us. For thy goodness' sake, 
Lord, blot out our transgressions as a cloud ; and justify 
us freely by thy grace, through the redemption that is in 
Jesus Christ. And bless us, holy God of our salvation, 
in turning us from all our iniquities, and giving us grace, 
to repent and amend our lives according to thy holy word. 

And to this end, be thou pleased to enlighten our 
darkened minds with the beams of thy saving truth, that 
we may not be unwise, but understand what the will of 
the Lord is — And reform our depraved wills, inclining 
them to a cheerful and ready compliance with all the mo- 
tion of thy good Spirit. Regulate our unruly passions ; 
purify our corrupt affections ; and convert all the faculties 
of our souls, to be instruments of thy glory, as they have 
been of thy dishonour ; and make our bodies fit temples 
for thy Holy Spirit to dwell in. Yea, sanctify us wholly, 
that we may, as we ought, sanctify thy blessed name. 

And quicken us, Lord, to hear thy voice while it is 
called to-day ; that we may make haste, and not delay 
to keep thy commandments. keep us frequently and 
affectionately mindful of the shortness of our time, the 
frailty of our lives, and the uncertainty of our being here 
in this mutable world, that so soon passeth away, and 
where we have no continuing city ; but are strangers and 
sojourners with thee, as all our fathers before us were. 
let the remembrance and consideration of this have 



SECOND WEEK. 107 

such a prevailing influence upon us, as to crucify the 
world to us, and make us more concerned for our ever- 
lasting welfare, and more careful to improve every pre- 
sent enjoyment to our souls' eternal advantage ; and to 
grow holier still as we grow older ; that the days which 
pass over us may not leave us, without any amendment 
wrought upon us ; but that the work of thy grace may 
go on successfully upon our hearts, till it has made us 
ripe and ready for the joys and glories of thy kingdom. 
The same things also we beg in behalf of all that ought 
to share in our prayers. forgive the sins, and relieve 
the miseries of thy poor creatures every where. Enlarge 
the borders of thy church, and make additions to it daily 
of such as shall be saved. that all who are called Chris- 
tians, may be truly Christians, both in their right believ- 
ing and their holy living. Advance the interest, and ex- 
tend the limits of thy Son's kingdom, and may all nations 
flow into it, as to their rest. Bless our land, and endue 
our rulers, and those who direct our public aflairs, with 
wisdom from on high. Give our judges the spirit of 
discernment, and aid and countenance our magistrates in 
the faithful execution of their oJ05ce. Make them all men 
fearing God, and eschewing evil. — And that all who 
are called to serve at thy altar, may be blessed with skil- 
ful understandings, and compassionate hearts, and exem- 
plary lives. Make them wise to win souls, and faithful, 
industrious and successful in their sacred office, as work- 
men that need not be ashamed. Bless and prosper all 
the places of learning and education ; and make all this 
people the Lord's people ; that they may all know thee 
from the greatest to the least ; and so order their conver- 
sation aright, that they may see the salvation of God. 
Remember them all for good, who have been any way 
instruments of our good ; and all that have, or would hurt 
us, Lord forgive them. Give unto all that mourn in 
Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and 
the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Lord ! 
continue thy gracious favour to us, and thy fatherly care 
over us this night. As we go to rest after the labours of 



108 SECOND WEEK. 

the day, so help us to do thy work that we may enter 
into that rest which remains for thy people in the close 
of this life. And so discharge us from our sins, and sup- 
ply us still with thy grace, that we may finish our course 
with joy, and in the end of our lives find the greatest of 
all mercy, to be received into thy glory : which we beg 
for the all-sufficient merits of our only Redeemer ; for 
whom, and to whom, with thee, everlasting Father, 
and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, in the unity of the 
ever glorious Trinity, be all praise, and honour and glory 
ascribed of us, and of all the Israel of God, now and for 
evermore. Amen. 



THURSDAY MORNING. JenJcs. 

Lord God, that hearest prayer, and art nigh to all 
that call upon thee in truth, have thine ears open to a 
world of creatures, that continually depend upon thee ! 
As we are moved by our own necessities, so are we en- 
couraged by the daily experience of thy mercies still to 
shelter ourselves under the shadow of thy wings, and to 
continue our suits and supplications at the throne of thy 
grace. And we beg of thee, who fashioneth all the 
hearts of the sons of men, that thou wilt prepare our 
hearts to come into thy holy presence, and to call upon 
thy blessed name, in due and acceptable manner ! 
pour upon us the spirit of grace and of supplications ; 
and let thy good Spirit help our infirmities, and teach 
us to pray so as shall be most agreeable to thy will, and 
most advantageous to our souls. 

For we, who are but poor worms, and sinful dust and 
ashes ; that have too much cause to be afraid, lest our 
great and manifold sins have provoked thee to hide thy 
face from us, and to shut up thy loving-kindness in dis- 
pleasure against us, have taken upon us to speak unto 
thee, the Sovereign Majesty of heaven and earth. For 
we have done foolishly and wickedly, in not hearkening 
to the calls of thy word, nor yielding to the monitions 



SECOND WEEK. 109 

of thy Spirit, to walk in the ways which thou hast set 
before us. Our iniquities are increased over our heads, 
our trespasses are grown even up to heaven, and our sins 
are a sore burden, too grievous and heavy for us to bear. 
They are infinite debts, and sad accounts ; for which if 
thou, Lord, shouldst enter into judgment with us, we 
could not answer thee one of a thousand ; but must lay 
our hands upon our mouths, and plead nothing but guilty, 
having our whole dependence upon thy mercy. 
I God, be merciful to us miserable sinners, for his 
sake, whom thou hast exalted to be a Prince and a Sa- 
viour, to give repentance to thy people, and forgiveness 
of their sins : be merciful to us, we pray thee, and heal 
our souls, that have greatly sinned against thee. heal 
our backslidings, renew us to true repentance, establish 
our hearts in thy true fear and love, and establish our 
goings in thy holy ways ; that we may not be so waver- 
ing and bent to backslidings, nor revolt from thee to turn 
to folly, after thou in mercy hast spoken peace to our 
souls ; but may go on conquermg and to conquer all the 
enemies of our souls, and all the hinderances of our sal- 
vation, till Satan be bruised under our feet. 

thou God of all grace ! bring such thoughts to our 
minds, and lay such considerations home powerfully upon 
our hearts, as thou knowest most eifectual to prevail with 
us, to work in us thy Avill, and to keep us from our iniquity 
within the bounds of our duty, till thou receive us into the 
blessed kingdom of thy glory. And, in the mean time, 
sanctify to us all thy dealings with us ; and bless us in all 
our undertakings, and in all our conditions and relations. 
Make us humble, contented, and duly careful of our souls ; 
following after the things now which will bring us true 
peace and comfort at the last. 

Dispose of us, we beseech thee, our God, and of all that 
concerns us this day, to the glory of thy name. keep 
us at all times, and in all places and companies, from the 
evil of sin, and from all other evils, to which the greatness 
of our sins does make us liable. And take thou, hea- 
venly Father, the gracious charge, and guidance, and go- 



110 SECOND WEEK. 

vernment of us ; and so lead us here in all our ways, with 
thy counsel, that hereafter thou mayest receive us into 
thy glory ; through thy tender mercies, and our Saviour's 
abundant merits ; in whose own words, we beg all things 
needful for ourselves and others, at thy hands. 
Our Father, &c. 



THURSDAY EVENING. Jenhs. 

Lord, the great and glorious God, infinite in power, 
wisdom and goodness ; the wonderful maker and preserver, 
ruler and disposer, of us and of all the world ! thou hast 
created all things by thy almighty hand ; sustainest and 
orderest all that thou hast made by thy wise and righteous 
providence ; and thy mercy is everlasting, and over all 
thy works. who is able to express or conceive the ex- 
ceeding riches of that grace and goodness of the Lord, 
which in such plentiful measure is still descending and 
overflowing upon poor sinful creatures, who deserve no- 
thing from thee but to be forsaken and abhorred by thee ! 
This day, and every day of our lives, Lord, have we 
tasted largely of thy mercy, and lived altogether still upon 
thy fatherly care and bounty. 

But notwithstanding all thy patience and gracious deal- 
ings with us, and all the repeated pledges of thy favour and 
kindness to us ; how ill we have requited thy love ! And 
what unsuitable returns have we made for all thy great and 
continued goodness that we have found ! Beside the guilt 
of our inbred corruption, which hangs heavy upon us : 
we are amazed at the greatness and multitude of all our 
other sins that we have committed against the light and 
teachings of thy gospel, against the dictates and striv- 
ings of thy Spirit, and the love and sufferings of thy Son : 
against all the patience and long forbearance which thou 
hast exercised towards us ; and against the many mercies 
and methods of our conversion and sanctification, where- 
with from time to time, thou hast sought to make us such 
as thy word requires we should be. Lord, we have given 



SECOND WEEK. Ill 

thee so great provocation that we are afraid lest thou 
shouldst forsake us utterly, and cause the day of thy 
patience to be at an end with us, and grant us no more 
of thy grace which we have so greatly abused, no more 
of thy Holy Spirit, which we have so frequently re- 
fused. And what have we now but judgment to expect 
from thee, Lord, but that thy mercy rejoices over 
judgment ! And thy word assures us that thou de- 
lightest not in the death of sinners, but rather that they 
should turn to thee and live. Therefore still thou 
leavest us these opportunities to appear before thee, to 
plead with our God, for the life of souls that have sin- 
ned against thee. And what have we to plead, 
blessed Lord, but thy own gracious nature, and merciful 
inclinations, and the many promises and declarations, of 
thyself which thou hast made to returning sinners in 
Jesus Christ ! Thou hast sent thine only Son to be our 
only Saviour ; and he that did no sin was manifested to 
take away our sins. for his sake be thou pleased to 
pity us, and spare us, and forgive us. Turn away thy 
wrath from us ; receive us to thy blessed favour ; and 
comfort us with the sure persuasion, that our great and 
many sins are remitted. 

And because such is the infirmity of our nature, that 
without thy grace we have not the least power to keep 
ourselves even from the greatest sins ; grant us the in- 
crease of thy grace, and such help of thy good Spirit, as 
may fortify us against all temptation, and make us Avilling 
and faithful, and diligent in thy service. And be pleased, 
Lord, yet further to discover and manifest thyself to 
our souls, that we may know aright thee, the only true 
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And give 
us power from on high, to enable us so to live and prac- 
tise, according to that light and knowledge of our duty 
which thou art pleased to impart unto us, that we may 
not hold the truth in unrighteousness, knowing the bet- 
ter, and doing the worse, but may walk in the light, as 
children of light, while we have it ; that we may never 
in judgment be deprived of it. let us not only be al- 



112 SECOND WEEK. 

most, but altogether Christians ; sincere converts, true 
penitents, and sound believers. And wilt thou, God, 
that workest all in all, do that work of thy grace tho- 
roughly upon all our hearts ; for which we may have 
cause to give thee praise and glory to all eternity. 

Which things we beg not only for ourselves, but for 
all the partakers of our nature, whom thou hast made to 
share in our hopes and capacities of eternal happiness ; 
especially for thy whole church, wheresoever or howso- 
ever disposed of over all the earth ; for all in authority, 
from the highest even to the lowest ; for our ministers and 
teachers ; for our relations and neighbours ; our friends 
and benefactors ; and for all thy afflicted, whatsoever be 
their trials and troubles. supply all their wants, and 
fulfil all their desires, so as thy wisdom sees best, for thy 
own mercy's sake in Jesus Christ. 

Thou, Lord, art the great preserver of men, who hast 
kept and blessed us to-day, and all our days. Praised 
be thy name for all thy goodness, which we so long and 
largely have experienced. make us sensible and thank- 
ful, as we are obliged to be. Take care of us, Lord, 
and be good to us this night. Give us bodily rest in our 
beds, and rest for our souls in thyself. And be thou our 
God and guide, our hope and help, our joy and comfort, 
and all in all to us this night, and for evermore. Amen. 



FRIDAY MORNING. Jenhs. 

Lord our God ! thy name is most excellent in all 
the earth : thou hast set thy glory above the heavens, 
and thou art worthy to be celebrated with everlasting 
praises of men and angels ; for thou hast created all 
things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. 
Thy hands, Lord, have made us and fashioned us, and 
thou hast breathed into our nostrils the breath of life ; 
yea, still thou boldest our souls in life, and givest us 
every good thing that makes our lives a blessing and a 
comfort to us. Thou hast formed us for thyself, that 



SECOND WEEK. 113 

we should show forth thy praise, and live to thy glory, 
as we do continually live upon thy bounty. 

But, Lord our God ! we have not brought thee the 
glory thou hast made us capable of, and so many ways 
obliged us to ; instead of that, how greatly have we 
dishonoured thee, our Grod, in the whole course and con- 
duct of our lives ! time after time, forgetting the gracious 
Giver of all our good things, who art never unmindful of 
us. And how soon have we been weary to do thee 
service, who art never weary to do us good! Yea, we 
have not only neglected thy work, but have been dis- 
obedient against thy word, and have gone after our own 
foolish and hurtful lusts, in such ways of living as thy 
laws and our own hearts disallow and condemn us for. 

And for these things we desire to pour out our hearts, 
and to humble ourselves here before thee ; entreating thy 
gracious favour, for the sake of thy mercy in Christ Jesus, 
that thou wilt be pleased to give us repentance and par- 
don for all that is past, wherein we have offended thee ; 
whether in omitting of our duty, or failing in it, or doing 
contrary to it. However we have transgressed, hum- 
ble us duly under the sense of it; and for thy dear Son's 
sake, absolve us thoroughly from the guilt of it. 

And strengthen us, good Lord, with might, by thy Spi- 
rit in the inner man, to make us more watchful against, 
and more victorious over, the corruption of our nature, 
the temptations of the devil, and the distractions and al- 
lurements of this sinful world, wherein we live. de- 
stroy in us every vicious inclination, every evil habit, 
and rebellious notion, that exalts itself against the know- 
ledge of God, and against the obedience of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. And increase and confirm in us still more 
and more, thy true knowledge, and faith, and fear, and 
love ; and every grace of thy Holy Spirit, which thou 
knowest to be most wanting in us, and necessary for us ; 
such as may make our lives still more comfortable to our- 
selves, more profitable to others, and more to the glory 
of thy name. And however it goes with us, as to the 
concerns of this present time, that we may still be 



114 SECOND WEEK. 

found in the way of our duty, fearing God, and working 
righteousness ; that we may secure our interest in the 
great Saviour of the world, so that when all here shall 
fail us, thou mayest take us up, and be the strength of 
our hearts, and our portion for evermore. 

Day by day we magnify thee, Lord, who makest 
every day of our lives still a further addition to thy mer- 
cies. We bless thee for our last night's preservation and 
protection, and for the rest and refreshment which thou 
hast given us therein. cause us to hear thy loving- 
kindness in the morning, for in thee do we trust ; cause 
us to know the way wherein we should go, for we lift up 
our souls to thee. Cast us not away from thy presence ; 
take not thy Holy Spirit from us ; but direct all our ways 
to please thee, our God, that thou mayest crown us with 
blessing and good success. Help us to see thy power, to 
own thy presence, to admire thy wisdom, and to love thy 
goodness in all thy creatures. And by all the comforts 
of creatures, draw our hearts still nearer to thyself the 
blessed Creator of every comfort; and let our medita- 
tions of God be sweet as well as frequent, that delighting 
ourselves in the Lord, thou mayest give unto us the de- 
sires of our hearts. Such thy mercy and grace we beg 
for ourselves, and all ours, and thine every where, in our 
great Mediator's form of prayer. Our Father, &c. 



FRIDAY EVENING. Jenhs. 

Our ever blessed and most gracious God ! thou art the 
Lord and Giver of our lives and hopes, and of all our en- 
joyments and comforts. To thee we do owe ourselves, 
and all that ever we are capable of rendering and ascribing. 
For by thee, Lord, we were created and have our 
being ; and through thy good providence it is, that we 
still have been spared and preserved, and cared and pro- 
vided for, throughout our whole lives unto this present 
time. From thee, our God, comes all our help, and in 
thee is reposed all our hope. Thou art the bountiful 



SECOND WEEK. 115 

Giver of all the good that our souls desire, and the mer- 
ciful withholder of all the evils that our sins deserve. 
We acknowledge thy great and daily goodness to us, and 
our own exceeding unworthiness of the least of all thy 
mercies. We take shame and confusion to ourselves, 
that we have so little improved, and so greatly abused, 
all thy patience with us, and all the various instances of 
thy bounty to us. For even thy mercies help to inflame 
the heavy reckoning of our offences, because we have 
done so much against thee, after all the great things thou 
hast done for us. We desire, Lord, to be penitent, 
and humbled for our sins ; and to entreat thy gracious 
favour in Jesus Christ, for the pardon of them. Forgive 
us, we pray thee, for his sake, all the sins that ever we 
have committed against thee, and absolve us from all the 
evils whereof we now stand guilty before thee. And 
being justified by faith, grant us peace with God, through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And we pray that thou wilt be to us a Father of mer- 
cies and a God of consolation ; so that thou wilt make us 
followers of God, as dear children ; ever jealous over our 
hearts, and watchful over our ways ; continually fearing 
to offend, and endeavouring to please thee : and keeping 
our hearts with all diligence, that they may not be har- 
dened through the deceitfulness of sin. Thou knowest, 
Lord, our weakness and danger of temptation ; our 
danger from the cruel, subtle enemy of our souls ; and 
from this present world that is so full of snares ; and from 
our own vile flesh and deceitful hearts, so apt to betray 
us into the enemies' hands ; we pray, therefore, good 
Lord, that thou wilt arm us with the whole armour of 
God, and uphold us with thy free Spirit, and watch over 
us for good evermore. Especially in the times of our 
sorest trials, let us experience the strongest aids of thy 
heavenly grace, that we may never fall a prey to those 
deadly enemies that seek to devour us. 

And teach us, our God, to know the day of our grace, 
and the time of our visitation, and to see the things of 
our peace, and duly to mind and settle the great eternal 



116 SECOND WEEK. 

affairs of our souls, in this our day, before they be hid 
from our eyes. And while we have time, enable us 
to use and improve it, to those great ends for which thou 
art pleased to put that precious talent into our hands, 
that we may make the short and uncertain stay which 
we have here, an opportunity of securing to ourselves a 
sure and everlasting well-being, when we shall depart 
from hence. 

And seeing thou art pleased yet to hold our souls in 
life, and to make us find and feel, by every day's experi- 
ence, how abundantly gracious and merciful thou art, 
with much patience and long suffering, enduring us, and 
with loving-kindness and manifold blessings, still pre- 
venting and following us ; give us hearts more sensi- 
ble of thy love, more affected with thy mercy, and more 
thankful for those continued favours which thou art 
pleased to multiply upon us. And help us to show forth 
thy praise and the truth of our thanks, not only in speak- 
ing good of the name of God, but so ordering our conver- 
sation as becomes the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

And to thy mercy in him, most merciful Father, we 
do now humbly commend ourselves, and all that we are, 
and have, this present night ; beseeching thee to pre- 
serve and defend, and bless and keep us, both in soul 
and body, from all evils and dangers, to which the weak- 
ness of our frame, and the greatness of our sins, do ex- 
pose us. And grant us such comfortable repose, whereby 
our frail nature may be refreshed, and our decayed 
strength recovered, that we may rise again better fitted 
and enabled to serve thee according to thy will in all 
the duties of the following day, if thou shalt be pleased 
to make addition of another day to our lives. And as 
thou addest days and mercies, be pleased also to add 
repentance and amendments to our lives ; that, as we 
come nearer to our end, we may be made still fitter for 
the enjoyment of thy heavenly kingdom; that every 
day may bring us still so much nearer to those everlast- 
ing joys and glories which thou hast prepared for them 
that love thee. And for all the good things that ever 



SECOND WEEK. 117 

we have had, and do at present enjoy, and yet hope for 
from thy bountiful hands, thine, blessed glorious Lord 
our God, be the praise, and honour, and glory, offered 
up with all grateful hearts, by us, and the whole church, 
now and for evermore, through the merits and interces- 
sion of Jesus Christ our Eedeemer, to whom be praise 
and glory for ever. Amen. 



SATURDAY MORNING. JenJcs. 

We do here present ourselves this morning before thy 
heavenly glorious Majesty, most blessed Lord our God, 
with the desire of our souls, to pay unto thee that tribute 
of homage and service, and prayer and praise, which 
thou hast made us capable of, and every way obliged us 
to. We desire to perform the same in such a manner, 
that thou mayest mercifully accept us and our services, 
at the hands of Christ Jesus. In his great name we come 
to thee, at thy command, and worship here at thy foot- 
stool, to beg thy pardon and peace, the increase of thy 
grace, and the tokens of thy love. For we are not wor- 
thy that thou shouldst in any way of mercy take notice 
of us, or be entreated by us : but worthy is the Lamb of 
God, slain to take away the sins of the world, for whose 
sake do thou, Lord, mercifully look upon us; for he 
has fulfilled those holy laws, which we have broken, and 
perfectly satisfied the justice of heaven for all our breaches 
of them. And in him thou art a God gracious and mer- 
ciful, to poor sinners, who deserve nothing from thee, 
but to be forsaken and abhorred by thee. Unto us be- 
long shame and confusion of face for our sins, and fearful 
expectation of all the judgments and miseries which thy 
laws denounce against sinners; if thou. Lord, shouldst 
be extreme to mark what we have done amiss ; if thou 
shouldst deal with us and proceed against us as in justice 
thou mightest. 

But, gracious Father, regard not what we have done 
against thee, but what our blessed Saviour has done for 



118 SECOND WEEK. 

us; not what we have made ourselves, but what he is 
made of thee, our God, unto us. And that Christ may- 
be to every one of our souls, what he is to all thy faith- 
ful people, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, 
and redemption ; that his precious blood may cleanse us 
from all our sins ; and that the grace of thy Holy Spirit 
may further renew and sanctify our souls, and subdue 
our iniquities, and mortify our lusts ; and quicken us to, 
and enable us for, the performance of all the duties of 
thy holy service. let not sin reign in our mortal 
bodies, that we should obey it in the lust thereof. Let 
there be no sin in us but what is felt and hated, bewailed 
and resisted by us ; and let us approve our very hearts 
to thee, the Searcher of them; and all our ways be still 
pleasing in thy sight. 

teach us to know thee, our God, and enable us to do 
thy will as we ought to do. Give us hearts to fear thee, 
and love thee ; to trust and delight in thee, and to adhere 
and cleave in faithfulness unto thee. That no tempta- 
tions may draw us, nor any tribulations drive us from 
thee; but that all thy dispensations to us, and all thy 
dealings with us, may be the messengers of thy love to 
our souls, to bring us still nearer to thy blessed self, and 
to make us still fitter for thy heavenly kingdom. Quick- 
en us, Lord, in our dulness ; that we may not serve 
thee in a lifeless and listless manner ; but may abound in 
thy work, and be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. 
And make us also faithful in all the offices of intercourse 
with our neighbours ; that we may be ready to do good, 
and bear evil, and forbear revenge ; and be just and kind, 
merciful and meek, peaceable and patient, sober and tem- 
perate, humble and self-denying, inoffensive and useful 
in the world. That so glorifying thee here upon earth, 
we may, at our departure hence, enter into the joy of our 
Lord, and be forever glorified in thy heavenly kingdom. 

Thou that hast kept us alive to this day, and hast 
been still good and kind to us all our days, renew thy 
mercy to us, we beseech thee, together with this morn- 
ing light ; and as thou makest the outgoings of the morn- 



SECOND WEEK. 119 

ing and evening to rejoice, so lift up the lignt of thy 
countenance upon us, and make us glad with the tokens 
of thy love ; aiid thou that art ever present with us, 
make us ever well aware of thy presence, that we duly 
remember thee in all our ways, and wisely and piously 
demean ourselves in all our affairs. Be with us, good 
Lord, at our going out, and our coming in ; and let thy 
grace follow us this day, and all the days of our life. Be 
thou our guide unto death, in death our comfort, and 
after death our portion and happiness everlasting. 
hear us from heaven, thy dwelling-place ; and, when thou 
hearest, have mercy ; forgive the sins of our persons, and 
the sins of our prayers ; and do more for us than we are 
worthy to expect at thy hands, for his sake, who alone is 
worthy ; in whose comprehensive words we sum up all 
our desires. Our Father, &c. 



SATURDAY EVENING. Jenhs. 

Lord, we desire to seek thy face, and to wait upon 
thee in the duties of thy worship ; entreating thy gra- 
cious favour with our whole hearts, that we may do all 
as we ought, with good acceptance to our God. And 
to whom should we make our applications, but unto thee, 
the Father of mercies and the fountain of all goodness, 
who art able to do exceeding abundantly for us, even 
above all that we can ask or think ; and who hast de- 
clared thy willingness to be solicited by us ; and thy readi- 
ness to hear, and help, and answer us, in those things 
which we beg at thy gracious and bountiful hands, in 
the name and mediation of our great Lord and Saviour : 
let our prayer be set before thee as incense, and the 
lifting up of our hands be as the evening sacrifice. It is 
in his blessed name alone, that we have the encourage- 
ment and boldness to beg of thy infinite goodness all that 
thou knowest to be needful and expedient for us ; seeing 
there is in ourselves no good thing to recommend us to 
thy favour and acceptance ; but a proneness and incli- 



120 SECOND WEEK. 

nation to what is displeasing in thy eyes, and destructive 
to our souls. For besides that we were by nature the 
children of wrath, a seed of evil doers, the sinful off- 
spring of rebellious parents ; we have been daily tres- 
passing upon thee, and still adding to the heavy score of 
our offences against thee. There is nothing in us, 
Lord, but what may provoke thee to reject us : but there 
is enough in thy beloved Son, of all grace and goodness, 
to move thee mercifully to accept us. He was made sin 
for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in him ; and that we might be saved 
through faith in his merits, where we could not be saved 
by any desert of our own works. As the chastisement 
of our peace was upon him, so let the merits of his right- 
eousness be upon us ; and by his stripes let our souls be 
healed. 

Nor do we only beg for pardon of our sins, but also 
for power against them, and grace sufficient for us to 
break them off, and to walk more pleasingly before thee, 
in all the ways and duties of righteousness and holiness, 
which thy word prescribes to us. never suffer us to be 
tempted above what we are able ; but make our tempta- 
tions less, or thy grace in us, and our spiritual strength, 
still greater than all our temptations ; that no iniquities 
may prevail against us, nor any presumptuous sin have 
dominion over us. make us more conformable to the 
pattern and the precepts of our Saviour, and more trans- 
formed into his holy image and likeness. So that our 
light may shine before men, to the glory of thee our 
heavenly Father, and to the edification of those with 
whom we have our conversation. 

And together with our own, we commend to thy 
mercy, God of the spirits of all flesh, the necessities 
and distresses of all our brethren throughout the world. 
enlighten the ignorant, quicken the careless, awake 
the secure, convince the erroneous, reclaim the vicious, 
establish the unsettled, and comfort the dejected. Bring 
all to the knowledge and love of thy truth, and to the 
participation of thy grace, and the obedience of Christ ; 



SECOND WEEK. 121 

and so to tlie blessed hope of thy heavenly glory, and to 
the eternal salvation of our souls. We pray more par- 
ticularly for all our magistrates and ministers of the gos- 
pel ; and all our friends and relations ; and all thy ser- 
vants ; and all the afflicted every where ; especially those 
for whose happiness and salvation thou knowest us to be 
chiefly concerned. do thou for us, and for them, as 
thou knowest best, and most needful and expedient, for 
thy own mercy's sake in Jesus Christ. 

*To thee we now render humble and hearty thanks 
for thy mercy to our family during another week. We 
thank thee that during its days and nights thou hast 
watched around our dwelling — hast met our returning 
wants — hast given us food convenient for us, and the 
protection of raiment, and a home. We praise thee that 
so many of our friends have been continued to us ; and 
that thou dost still preserve to us the enjoyments of a 
Christian land. Thou hast in mercy brought us again 
near to the day of sacred rest. If it be thy good pleasure 
to keep us through this night — which we humbly im.- 
plore — we pray that thou wilt prepare us for the duties 
of another holy day. Awake us in the morning with a 
lively sense of thy mercies ; with a spirit of prayer ; with 
hearts fitted to be impressed by religious truth ; and with 
a deep conviction of thy goodness in the resurrection of 
our Lord Jesus from the grave. Go with us, if we may 
go, to the house of worship ; and meet us in the sanctuary 
and bless us. Aid all thy ministering servants, that they 
may declare thy truth with simplicity and power. May 
thy Spirit descend on the churches; on all Sunday 
schools ; and on all who are engaged in designs of bene- 
volence ; and may the morrow be a day long to be re- 
membered in Zion, and the time soon come when thy 
Sabbath shall be observed by all the family of mankind.* 

And now that the night is upon us, and we are ready 
to betake ourselves to our rest, we commit ourselves to 
thy gracious protection, who never sleepest nor slum- 
berest, but hast still a watchful eye upon thy people. 
watch over us, our God, we pray thee, for good; that 
6 



122 THIRD WEEK. 

none of the evils or harms which our sins have deserved 
may befall us. Preserve us from the works, and from 
the powers of darkness, and from all the terrors and 
dangers of the night. Let all our sins, to-day or any 
time heretofore committed, be removed out of thy sight, 
and show us the light of thy countenance, Lord, to 
refresh us with the sense of thy blessed love and favour, 
in our dear Redeemer; for whom, and to whom, with 
thy eternal self, and Holy Spirit, be all thanks, and 
praise, and honour, and glory, ascribed of us and all thy 
church, from this time forth, world without end. Amen. 



THIRD WEEK. 



SABBATH MORNING. Smith. 

Thou who art the Author and Preserver of our lives, 
unto thee we would now lift up our voice and our hearts. 
Teach us to approach unto thee Avith that reverence which 
becometh all thy creatures ; and vouchsafe to draw near 
unto us, as a God of pity, of mercy, and of grace. 

We adore thee, God, who hast made us for thy ser- 
vice ; that thou hast given us thy Avord to direct us in 
thy worship ; and that one day in every seven of our 
lives is appointed for this purpose. As the unworthy, 
but professing disciples of Jesus Christ, who hope for ac- 
ceptance only through his merits and mediation, we would 
now offer up our morning sacrifice to the God, and Father, 
and fountain of all, This is the day which thou hast made ; 
the day upon which thy Son rose from the dead, finish- 
ing the work of our redemption ; that happy day when 
the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the fellow- 
ship of the Holy Ghost, may be humbly expected where- 
ever two or three are met together in the name of the 
adorable Trinity. Wilt thou then, most high and in- 



THIRD WEEK. 123 

comprehensible Jehovah ! accept of the dedication which 
we now make thee of our bodies and souls ? 

We are sensible that we have rendered ourselves un- 
w^orthy of thy notice, having lost thy image, and broken 
thy commandments. But, God of all grace, thou art in 
Christ again reconciling a guilty world unto thyself, not 
imputing unto men their trespasses ; and, therefore, we 
would now believingly, although humbly, draw near, 
asking and hoping every thing for his sake. Let those 
sins which we have formerly committed against much 
goodness, much love, and much light, be all blotted out 
of the book of thy remembrance. Let these worthless 
souls of ours be clothed with the wedding garment of a 
Redeemer's righteousness, that we may thus be inte- 
rested in the privileges of his kingdom. thou Giver of 
every good and perfect gift, create in us all clean hearts, 
and renew right spirits within us, that we may love thee 
— that we may fear thee — that it may be as our meat 
and our drink at all times to do thy holy will. We thank 
thee, God, for that providential care and goodness 
which thou hast exercised towards us during the past 
week, and the past night. Prepare us for all the duties 
in which we are this day to be engaged. When we are 
allowed to enter into thine earthly temple, let all worldly 
wishes, worldly cares, and worldly thoughts of every sort, 
be banished from our minds. Enable us to sing thy 
praises with gratitude in our hearts. Grant that we may 
read thy holy Scriptures for our instruction and comfort. 
May the prayers which we shall this day offer up for 
ourselves and others, so far as is consistent with thy glory, 
be accepted ; and let thy word preached enlighten our 
understandings, spiritualize our hopes, confirm our faith, 
rekindle our love, and inspire us with new resolutions to 
live more becoming the professions we make, and the 
privileges we enjoy. 

And when we return from thy house, forbid, God, 
that we should spend any part of thy day in thinking 
our own thoughts, speaking our own words, or minding 
our own pleasures ; but let it be an entire Sabbath of 



124 THIRD WEEK. 

rest unto our souls, reflecting upon what we have heard, 
laying up thy doctrines and precepts in our memories, 
examining by thy word and Spirit, into our state ; and 
renewing, by thine all-suiScient grace, our broken vows, 
and unfulfilled engagements. 

And thus, Father, into whose hands we have com- 
mitted our immortal spirits, by thus wisely and profitably 
spending our Sabbaths on earth, may we all be trained 
up and prepared for that eternal Sabbath in heaven, 
where we shall see thee as thou art, feel all thy perfec- 
tions conspiring to make us happy, join in endless wor- 
ship with an innumerable company of angels and digni- 
fied spirits, be introduced into thy presence, where there 
is fulness of joy, and be admitted to sit down at thy 
right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore. 

Lord, might we still intercede in behalf of our bre- 
thren of mankind ! Thou hast promised by the blood 
of thy covenant, to speak peace unto the heathen. Soon^ 
God, give them to thy Son as his inheritance, with 
the utmost parts of the earth for his possession. Where 
the gospel is preached and professed, may multitudes be 
converted, and made a willing people in the day of thy 
power. Pour out, God, a double portion of thy Holy 
Spirit, upon all the ministers of the everlasting gospel ; 
and may they be enabled to discharge the important 
trust committed to them with fidelity and diligence, with 
thy approbation, and with abundant success. Let the 
churches with which we are more immediately connected 
have rest ; and walking together in the fear of the Lord, 
and comforts of the Holy Ghost, may they be edified 
and multiplied. 

Our relatives and friends, wherever they are, may 
their bodies be the objects of thy providential care, and 
all their souls the subjects of thy saving grace. If it 
be thy will, let us have many comfortable and useful 
meetings in this world, and may none of us be found 
wanting in that day when thou countest thy jewels. 
Such as may now be more immediately under thy af- 
flicting hand, God, console, support, and in thy due 



THIRD WEEK. 125 

time deliver ; and may we all have an interest in that 
sure promise, that all things at last shall work together 
for good. 

Now, unto the King eternal, ininiortrl, nnd invisible, 
the only wise God, be honour and glory, for ever and 
ever. Amen. 



SABBATH EVENING. Smith. 

Our Father that art in heaven, hallowed be thy sacred 
name. For we, that are in ourselves but as dust and 
ashes, have, nevertheless, been permitted again and 
again this day to draw near and supplicate at the throne 
of thy grace. We confess, that even the iniquities of 
our holy things testify against us ; and hadst thou been 
strict to mark our vain, polluted, and sinful thoughts, 
even in thy worship, thou mightest have cast us off. 
But, Lord, we admire, and adore ; and would even 
rejoice in these gracious declarations, which thou hast 
given us in thy word, that thou takest no pleasure in 
the destruction of sinners : and knowing our frame, re- 
membering we are but dust, and therefore exacting of 
us less than our iniquities deserve, thou art long-suffer- 
ing, slow to anger, full of compassion, and plenteous in 
mercy. 

Blessed God, may every returning consideration of 
thy glorious attributes, but especially these astonishing 
expressions of thy loving-kindness and tender mercy to 
the human race, so conquer and soften our hard and 
stony hearts, as that they may now melt down, and flow 
out, in ardent love, and humble gratitude ; thus ending 
thy day, as we sweetly began it, with thine easy yoke, 
in thy delightful service. 

God, keep us in patient waiting until that glorious 
hour, when we may hope to join that blessed company 
around thy throne, and sing the song of Moses and the 
Lamb. Make us thankful for those communications of 
thy love and grace, which, but tasted here below, give 



126 THIRD WEEK. 

more true peace, and solid pleasure, than the men of the 
"world enjoy, when their corn, and wine, and creature 
comforts, do most abound, 

God, give us a greater relish for these pure and spi- 
ritual joys. We long to have more of the temper and 
disposition of the holy Psalmist, when he said, '' As the 
hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul 
after thee, God!" We wish to say, ^^ How amiable 
are thy tabernacles, Lord of Hosts ! a day spent in thy 
courts, is better than a thousand otherwise employed." 

Lord, grant that the worship and services in which we 
have lately been engaged, may be followed not only by 
thy gracious pardon, but with thy efficacious benediction. 
May neither the cares nor the pleasures of this world 
destroy the seed of the word which may have been this 
day sown in our hearts ; but may it spring up, and bear 
fruit, some thirty, sixty, or an hundred fold. 

We have desired the sincere milk of the Avord, that we 
may grow thereby. We are one Sabbath day's journey 
nearer the end of life. God grant that we be nearer to 
heaven in our tempers, in our conduct, in our desires and 
affections. 

From this night we would desire to lead a life more 
conformable to the holy gospel we profess, and to the 
glorious hopes we are permitted to entertain. 

Will the Lord be pleased to follow with his blessing 
the preaching of the gospel every where! Wherever 
the name of Christ hath this day been named, may mul- 
titudes see their need of his salvation, and be constrained 
to fly to him as their city of refuge. And, let the glo- 
rious period spoken of in an ancient prophecy, soon 
come, when the whole earth shall be full of the know- 
ledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the channel of 
the sea. 

Will God be pleased to hear the intercessions w^hich 
have this day been put up through all his churches ; more 
especially for our native country, the government under 
which we live, thy church as established among us, and all 
sects and denominations of real Christians. Be pleased, 



THIRD WEEK. 127 

Lord, to pardon what may have been asked amiss ; and 
where thy servants may have neglected to ask for needful 
blessings to themselves and others, do thou, of thine infi- 
nite goodness, supply the deficiency. And now, God, 
permit us to commend our bodies and souls to thy pater- 
nal care this night. Thou art the keeper of Israel, who 
never slumbereth nor sleepeth. Give us composed and 
refreshing sleep. Be at our right hand, and we will not 
fear what evil men or evil spirits can do to us ; and hav- 
ing found that thou hast been our refuge and defence all 
the night long, may we awake in the morning disposed 
to meditate upon thy goodness and mercy. may we 
live in thy love and fear all our days, and improve by 
every dispensation of thy providence and grace, and at 
last be admitted, with all ours, into thy heavenly king- 
dom. We ask and hope for every blessing, in the name, 
and for the sake, of our dear Redeemer. Amen. 



MONDAY MORNING. Smith. 

Incomprehensible, but infinitely great and glorious 
Jehovah ! we are again this morning permitted to lift up 
our hearts and voice unto thee. Thou didst at the first 
make man after thine own image, a little lower than the 
angels, and crowned him with honour and with glory ; 
but our first parents broke thy covenant, and we have 
fallen from this holy and happy condition, into a state of 
guilt, pollution, and misery. 

We are but of yesterday, and know nothing. We are 
a seed of evil-doers, who have gone astray from every 
right path ; and thy pure and perfect law hath justly con- 
cluded us all under sin, that every mouth may be stop- 
ped, and the whole world become guilty before God. 

But thou hast not left us altogether, nor in any age in 
this dark and forlorn situation. For, when the world by 
wisdom knew not God, and the way of man was not in 
himself, God, at sundry times, and in divers manners, 
spake in times past to our fathers by the prophets, and 



128 THIRD WEEK. 

in these last days hath spoken still more clearly and fully 
by his own Son. 

God, our Father, through the operation of the Holy 
Spirit, engage us all to make a saving application of this 
Son of thine, as the Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world ; and to whom all the prophets gave witness, 
and now once in the end of the world hath appeared to 
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 

Receive, we beseech thee, God, this morning, our 
sincere and united thanks for that protection which thou 
hast afforded us, and the refreshing sleep we have en- 
joyed during the past night. Be with us, our heavenly 
Father, through the whole of this day, and of this week, 
whose secular employments we are now about to enter 
upon. In all our transactions with the world, may we 
be conscientiously just, knowing that all who do unright- 
eously are an abomination unto the Lord. 

Let us guide our affairs with discretion, so as that we 
may have it in our power to show favour, and assist our 
neighbour, in whatsoever business he hath need of us, as 
becometh saints. 

Enable us, God, upon all occasions, and in all situa- 
tions, to show mercy, that we may never have judgment 
without mercy from thee. If thou shouldst see meet to 
crown our lawful endeavours, so as that we increase and 
abound in the good things of this life, Lord, let our rising 
in the world go hand in hand with the preservation and 
comfortable subsistence of all around us. 

But, 0, let us take heed from morning to night, lest at 
any time our hearts be overcharged with the cares of this 
life ; for thou hast expressly said, " He that maketh haste 
to be rich, shall not be innocent." 

Lord, deliver us from the inordinate love of money, 
which is the root of all evil ; which, while some coveted 
after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced them- 
selves through with many sorrows. 

Lord, we would not be over-anxious to lay up for 
ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth 
corrupt, and where thieves may break through and steal ; 



THIRD WEEK. 129 

but would be laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, 
that where our treasure is, there our hearts may be also 
forever. 

Lord, we would keep alive upon our minds, both the 
shortness and the uncertainty of time. May this engage 
us to redeem it, and so to number all our days, as to be 
applying them toward an habitual preparation for death. 
Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our 
numberless failings, and short-coinings in duty. Forbid 
that we indulge either envy or malice in our hearts to- 
ward any fellow-creature. If it be thy holy will, may we 
fall into no temptation, but which thou wilt enable us to 
resist and overcome. And in the evening may we return 
to a throne of grace, with a conscience void of offence, 
and a heart replenished with gratitude to God, for the 
privileges and blessings of another day. Now unto the 
Three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, 
and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, as is most due, all 
praise, and power, dominion, and glory, world without 
end. Amen. 



MONDAY EVENING. Smith. 

Our Father, in heaven — evening, as well as morning, 
would we approach thy more immediate presence, with 
our humble tribute of adoration and praise. Thou art 
the greatest and the best of beings. There is none like 
unto thee in all the earth. Among the gods there is 
none like unto thee, Lord! none like unto thee in 
heaven above, or on the earth beneath. Thou art the 
eternal God, with whom a thousand years are as one 
day, and one day as a thousand years. 

Of old hast thou laiS the foundation of the earth, and 
the heavens are the work of thy hands : they shall perish, 
but thou shalt endure ; yea, all of them shall wax old like 
a garment ; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they 
shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years 
shall have no end. 
6* 



130 THIRD VvEEK. 

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding 
the evil and the good. 

How then '' shall we go from thy Spirit, or w^hither 
shall we flee from thy presence ? If we ascend up into 
heaven, thou art there ; if we make our bed in hell, be- 
hold, thou art there : if we say. Surely the darkness shall 
cover us, even the night shall be light about us : for the 
darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as 
the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to 
thee." 

How then ought our hearts to tremble, Lord, when 
we consider also that thou art infinitely pure and just 1 
Thou art the Holy One of Israel, whose name is holy, 
and who dwellest in the high and holy place. 

And surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the 
Almighty pervert judgment : for the work of a man will 
he render unto him, and cause every man to find accord- 
ing to his ways. Yet, notwithstanding all this, we lift up 
our heads and hearts in hope. Blessed be God's name 
for that reviving declaration : " Israel, thou hast de- 
stroyed thyself, but in me is thine help." To bring 
about our salvation, thou didst not spare thy Son ; but 
in due time sent him into the world. We rejoice that 
Christ came not to do away the law, but to fulfil it ; that 
by fulfilling all righteousness, he became the Mediator 
of a better covenant ; that by his death upon the cross, 
the hand-writing of ordinances, that was against us, is 
blotted out ; for he took it out of the way, nailing it to 
his cross. By him we have now received the atonement ; 
and to him alone we look, and in him alone would we 
confide as our Mediator and Advocate with the Father. 
Yea, doubtless, and we would count all things but loss 
for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ our 
Lord, that we may win Christ, and be found in him ; not 
having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but 
that which is through the faith of Christ, even the right- 
eousness which is of God by faith. 

Lord, enable us to walk worthy of this holy vocation 
wherewith we are called, and to put our trust in thee, 



THIRD WEEK. 131 

that we may never be ashamed, and that thou mayest 
deliver us in thy righteousness. that we could at all 
times say. Whom have we in heaven but God? and 
there is none upon earth that we desire in comparison 
with him : our flesh and our heart faileth, but he is the 
strength of our heart, and, we would hope, our portion 
for ever. 

Lord, help us to consider that the end of all things, as 
to us, may be near at hand, and therefore we should be 
sober, and watch unto prayer ; looking diligently unto 
ourselves, lest any of us fail of the grace of God ; and so 
numbering all our days, as that we may apply our hearts 
unto true wisdom. 

God grant that we may never be like the men of the 
world, which have all their portion in this life, and who 
say of it, " This is my rest, here will I dwell, for I have 
desired it;" but, on the contrary, finding that for true 
happiness we here have laboured in vain, and spent our 
strength for nought, and that all our days are vanity, 
may we cry out, I loathe it, I would not live always ! 0, 
that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I fly away, 
and be at rest. Lord, keep us ever in a waiting posture, 
and enable us to see thy hand, and to acknowledge thy 
will, in every thing that befalls us. 

For the health of body and composure of mind which 
we have this day enjoyed, we would express our thank- 
fulness to a gracious God. Be with us, heavenly Father, 
during the silent watches of the ensuing night. Pre- 
serve us still from disease of body, and from distress of 
mind : or, if it should be thy will that we receive such 
chastisements from thy hand. Lord, give us patience to 
endure them, and a happy issue out of them in due time. 
Let the putting off of our clothes this night remind us 
of the putting off of these mortal bodies, which must, 
ere long, return to the dust : and grant that we may 
be both habitually and actually prepared for the impor- 
tant event. May the like blessings, both temporal and 
spiritual, be bestowed upon all who are near and dear 
to us. In thy fear and love, and in mutual good offices. 



132 THIRD WEEK. 

may we live whilst in this world, and ere long meet 
together in that kingdom, and in those mansions, which 
our dear Redeemer hath been preparing from the be- 
ginning of time. 

In his name we ask every blessing ; and to him, with 
thee, Father, and the Eternal Spirit, be all praise, 
and honour, and glory. Amen. 



TUESDAY MORNING. JSmitL 

Thou Creator and Preserver of all things, behold us 
again, this morning, at the footstool of thy throne. We 
draw near, permitted and encouraged by thy word, to 
adore thy perfections, and to give thee thanks for the 
many favours conferred upon us. We come also to con- 
fess our demerit and sinfulness, and to plead for thy par- 
doning mercy and recovering grace. And who is like 
unto thee, thou great, eternal, invisible, and incom- 
prehensible Object of our spiritual worship ! Before all 
things thou didst exist ; from everlasting to everlasting 
thou art the only living and true God, infinite in wisdom, 
power, goodness and mercy. Of thy good- will and plea- 
sure thou didst at first bring us out of nothing into exist- 
ence. But that rank of being which we hold in the scale 
of creation, demands our further and most grateful ac- 
knowledgment. We are wiser than the fowls of heaven, 
and have more understanding than the beasts that perish. 
We bless God that we are endued with rational and im- 
mortal souls, and made capable of knowing, worshipping, 
and enjoying him. We would express our thankfulness 
this morning for all that care, protection, and kindness, 
which we have experienced from our birth to the present 
hour ; for sparing us in childhood, guiding us in youth, 
and preserving us amidst the numberless diseases and 
dangers of riper years. We thank thee for our daily 
food, for our warm and decent clothing, for all the ne- 
cessaries of life, and those many conveniencies and com- 
forts which we enjoy beyond thousands of our fellow- 



THIRD WEEK. 133 

creatures around us. But, above all, we would ever 
adore and praise God for his inestimable love and grace 
in Jesus Christ. 

We had destroyed ourselves, but in God there was 
help found. When there was no eye to pity, nor hand 
to help, he sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world. 
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only true Mes- 
siah, and that he died for our offences, and rose again for 
our justification. 

We fly to thee in him, as the alone foundation for par- 
don, reconciliation, adoption into the family of heaven, 
and every spiritual blessing. let the Holy Spirit be 
given unto us, to seal our souls unto the day of redemp- 
tion. Let him be as a Spirit of wisdom to guide us at 
all times ; as a Spirit of holiness, to regenerate and cleanse 
our souls from every impure desire ; and as a Spirit of 
might and power, to strengthen us, that we may neither 
be ashamed nor afraid, when we have respect unto all thy 
commandments. Lord, we are poor, short-sighted crea- 
tures, and know not what temporal blessings to ask at 
thy hands; for we know not what shall eventually be 
best for us. If consistent with thy will, may we hope 
that goodness and mercy shall still follow us. 

What are we, and what is our father's house, that thou 
hast brought us up hitherto ? When we think of what 
we have received, God, and compare it with what we 
deserve, we are lost in wonder and astonishment at thy 
goodness. Let it not be altogether lost : may it lead us 
to gratitude and humility, to repentance, and to a mind- 
fulness of our latter end : for we know not what is be- 
tween us and the grave. Thou mayest yet see meet to 
teach us in the school of adversity. Help us then to 
say, "It is the Lord's will, let him do what seemeth him 
good. Shall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, 
and shall we not also receive evil?" Lay not upon us 
more than thou wilt enable us to bear, that the issue of 
all shall be to thy glory, and for our greater good. 

Lord, accept of our sincere thanks for that freedom 
from pain, both of body and mind, which we have en- 



134 THIRD WEEK. 

joyed during the past night. There are many no doubt, 
whose cry, during the lingering hours, hath been, Would 
God it were morning ! and who even now (the distress 
remaining) may be saying. Would Grod it were evening ! 
Lord God, take pity upon such, and in thy good time re- 
lieve them : and elevate all our hearts towards that time 
and place, when God shall wipe away all tears from our 
eyes, and there shall be no more death; neither sorrow 
nor crying ; neither shall there be any more pain ; the 
former things being for ever passed away. Until this 
period come, until death, which leadeth unto it, may we 
all be kept in a waiting posture. May we watch as well 
as pray, that we be actually as well as habitually^ pre- 
pared for death : for blessed are those servants whom the 
Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Now, unto 
Him that supplieth all our need, according to his riches 
in glory, by Jesus Christ ; to the Three that bear record 
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, 
be honour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, for ever 
and ever. Amen. 



TUESDAY EVENING. Smith. 

God of all goodness and grace, hear our prayer this 
evening, and give ear to the words of our mouth. We 
would call upon thee, who alone art worthy to be praised, 
and who hast given us reason to hope that thou wilt send 
out thy light and thy truth, to lead and bring us to thy 
holy hill, even unto a throne of grace, where we may 
obtain mercy to pardon, and grace to help in time of 
need. We know, and would have ever deeply impressed 
on our minds, that the Lord, he is great, and that our 
Lord is above all gods. Thou remainest for ever the 
same, and thy throne is from generation to generation. 
One day is with thee as a thousand years, and a thou- 
sand years as one day. The Most High, whom we 
would now worship, dwelleth not in temples made with 
hands. Heaven is his throne, and the earth is his foot- 



THIRD WEEK. 135 

stool ; yet his eyes run to and fro through the world : 
from the place of thy habitation thou lookest down upon 
all the inhabitants of the earth, and considerest all their 
works. There is no iniquity with the Lord our God : 
thou art the Lord who lovest righteousness, and exer- 
cisest judgment in the earth ; and thou hast appointed 
a day when thou wilt judge the world in righteousness. 
What then must become of us, Lord, who have al- 
ways been ungrateful, and so often broken thy most 
just and easy commandments ? To us, indeed, God, 
belongeth shame and confusion of face ; and more 
especially when we think of thy holiness, and our im- 
purity and sinfulness. 

Thou didst create us after thy image, but we have let 
it be defaced. Thou hast favoured us with the light of 
revelation ; but we have loved the ways and works of 
darkness. Thy law, God, which is exceeding broad, 
hath been often read to us, and its precepts impressed on 
our minds, but in how many instances have we trans- 
gressed against it ! 

deal not with us according to our folly, but see our 
shield, and look upon the face of thine Anointed ; that 
he, like unto Aaron of old, may bear our iniquity, and 
we be accepted at a throne of grace through him. 

We look to Christ alone for acceptance with the Fa- 
ther, who blotted out the hand- writing of ordinances that 
was against us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to 
his cross ; even thy Son, God, who thus (as it became 
him) fulfilled all righteousness ; and being the Mediator 
of a better covenant, brought in a better hope, by the 
which hope we draw nigh unto God. And thus looking, 
God, and thus hoping, we would not only humbly ex- 
pect the pardon of all our sins, but even a comfortable 
persuasion thereof in our own minds, with all those ad- 
vantages which accompany or flow from it. 

Lord, give us that best of evidences which ariseth 
from a conformity of mind and will to thee, and to our 
blessed Master. Let us have grace, whereby we may 
serve God acceptably. None of us would henceforward 



136 THIRD WEEK. 

live unto ourselves. We are not our own, for we are 
bought with a price. May we therefore glorify God in 
our body, and in our spirit, which are God's. 

We would, we hope and trust, form sincere resolu- 
tions this evening, to live more and more soberly, hon- 
estly and godly, in this present evil world. And to this 
purpose, God, teach us to reflect seriously upon the 
shortness of life ; the rapidity with which our days, and 
weeks, and months, and years, pass away. . Help us to 
consider that our career may terminate every moment, 
when death shall summon us to judgment, and the con- 
sequences be eternal. Lord, teach us therefore so to 
number and estimate every day as if it were our last. 
Like the foolish virgins, may we not sleep, or even slum- 
ber, in a cold outward profession ; but having our loins 
girded, and our lamps burning, may we imitate the wise 
virgins, be ever watching, and making ready for the 
coming of our Lord ; and thus we may hope to appear 
before him with confidence and holy joy. 

Keep us this night, God, under the shadow of thy 
wings, and defend our bodies and souls from all evil. 
Refresh us with sleep ; and if thou art pleased to grant 
us the privilege of another day in this state of probation, 
may our renewed strength be employed to advance thy 
glory and promote the best interests of all around us. 
Lord, continue still to be kind and favourable to all our 
relations and friends. May we all be united in the same 
covenant of redemption here, and be permitted to enjoy 
its more glorious privileges together hereafter. Let the 
country where we live, and while we live, God, if con- 
sistent with the great designs of thy providence, never 
be the seat of war, but the residence of liberty and peace. 
We long for the time when wars shall cease to the ends 
of the earth, and there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy 
in all thy holy mountain. Hasten that happy time, 
God, and prepare the world for it. And now the God of 
Israel cause us to go from his throne in peace, and with 
the hope of pardon and acceptance : and to the Father, 
Son, and blessed Spirit, be eternal praises. Amen. 



THIRD WEEK. 137 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. Smith. 

Thou most holy, blessed, and glorious Lord God, 
whom we are bound by every tie to worship and obey ; 
behold us again, this morning, before the throne of thy 
grace. We laid ourselves down in peace — we have 
during the past night taken our rest in safety ; and by 
thy kind providence we are entering upon the duties 
and enjoyments of another day. 

A wearisome night might have been appointed us ; thou 
mightest have alarmed us with dreams, and terrified us 
through visions ; and we might have been full of tossings 
to and fro, until the dawning; but thou hast bestowed 
on us sleep, such as thou givest to thy beloved, and our 
beds have comforted and refreshed us. Blessed be the 
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for this re- 
newed instance of his sustaining power and preserving 
goodness. 

This morning again would we say. Come and hear, all 
ye that fear God, and we will declare what he hath done 
for our bodies and souls. Thine hand, God, created us 
at the first. And we thank thee, Lord, that thou hast 
not only granted us life, and thy visitation to preserve 
our spirit in the helpless state of infancy and childhood ; 
but that thou hast cast our lot in a part of the world 
where light and liberty, peace and plenty, have so long 
existed and flourished. 

Incomprehensible Being, who searchest the heart, and 
to whom every secret motion w^ithin us is known, behold 
our souls prostrate before the throne of thy grace this 
morning, ready again to take hold of thy covenant and 
strength, that we may make peace with thee, and that 
thou mayest make peace with us. Look down, God 
of mercy, upon us ; and for thine own sake, and accord- 
ing to thy express word and promise, blot out our trans- 
gressions, and remember our sins no more. 

Behold, God, our shield, and look upon the face of 
tHine anointed, thy beloved Son, in whom thou art ever 



138 THIRD WEEK. 

well pleased ; who appeared in our world to put away 
sin by the sacrifice of himself; and by this one offering 
hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. ! for 
his sake, forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all un- 
righteousness. And now may the peace of God, which 
passeth all understanding, keep our hearts and minds, 
through Christ Jesus. We would not be over-anxious 
for that peace and prosperity which the world giveth. 
But we pray for that peace, which Jesus Christ hath 
promised, and left for all his disciples ; a peace which 
the world can neither give nor take away ; and through 
which our hearts may not be troubled, or in any degree 
afraid. 

We must confess, God, that if thou shouldest be 
strict to mark iniquities, we have often had cause to be 
both ashamed and afraid. 

Thou hast also said in thy word, that the just shall live 
by faith ; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have 
no pleasure in him. Wilt thou heal our backslidings, 
and pardon our numberless failings in duty. Thou hast 
said. Return, thou backsliding Israel, and I will not cause 
mine anger to fall upon you. Turn thou us unto thee, 
Lord, and we shall be turned; and from this day en- 
lighten and renew, more and more, every faculty and 
power of our mind and soul, that we may give all dili- 
gence to add to our faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, 
patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity ; that 
these things being in us, and abounding, we may neither 
be barren, nor unfruitful in the saving knowledge of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

For that protection which thou hast afforded us during 
the past night, and that refreshing sleep which our bodies 
have enjoyed, we desire, God, to be more and more 
thankful. To thy care and keeping we again commit 
ourselves this day. Compass us about with thy favour 
as with a shield. 

If consistent with thy will, prosper us in all our law- 
ful employments, and give us comfort in all our worldly 
enjoyments. The same blessings we would ask in be*- 



THIRD WEEK. 139 

half of our relations, our friends, our benefactors, and 
well-wishers. Our enemies, Father, forgive them, and 
enable us to do the same. 

Lord, plead thine own cause in the world. Let igno- 
rance, idolatry, superstition, and wickedness, come to an 
end. Erect the throne of thy Son's dominion upon the 
ruins of Satan's kingdom. Let the happy time be ap- 
proaching when there shall be universal peace on earth, 
and good-will amongst all mankind. Lord, continue 
kind to our native country. Provide for us, God, 
rulers and magistrates, such as are able men, who fear 
thee, and hate covetousness. Prosper, God, the means 
of instruction provided for our youth, and let the hoary 
heads be found in the way of righteousness ; that they 
may look backward with satisfaction, and forward with 
hope. Pity the sick and aiBSicted ; spare young and use- 
ful lives ; and prepare us all for death and judgment. 
Now, blessed be God for all his gifts, both of nature and 
of grace ! And to the Three that bear record in heaven, 
the Father, the Word, and Holy Spirit, be ascribed all 
honour and glory. Amen. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. Smith. 

Glorious Jehovah ! by which name thou didst de- 
sire to be known by thy people of old, take us (like 
them) into covenant with thee, and draw near in mercy 
to hear and help us. We would ever consider it as our 
highest honour, and greatest privilege, to call upon God 
by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving. 

We adore thee as the alone true object of all spiritual 
worship. Though there be that are called gods, whe- 
ther in heaven or on earth, (as there be gods many, and 
lords many,) to us there is but one God the Father, of 
whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him ; 
and one Spirit, the Eternal Spirit, who searcheth all 
things, yea, the deep things of God, by whom, through 
Jesus Christ alone, we have access unto the Father. In 



140 THIRD WEEK. 

this new and living way may we be permitted to ap- 
proach, at this time, to offer up our evening sacrifices. 

And we would say, Blessed be the name of the Lord, 
from this time forth, and for evermore : from the rising 
of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord's 
name be praised ; for the Lord is high above all nations, 
and his glory above the heavens. There is none like 
unto thee : rich in mercy, glorious in holiness, fearful in 
praises, ever doing wonders. But we would more espe- 
cially praise thee this night for the unmerited, yet still 
continued, communications of thy goodness and grace 
to us. 

We would more particularly thank and praise thy 
name for what we have experienced of it during the 
past day. Thou hast protected our going out and our 
coming in. The Lord is our keeper ; he hath been as 
a shade upon our right hand, and preserved us from all 
evil. 

We would be thankful, God, unto thee for these 
temporal blessings ; and pray earnestly that they may 
produce in our souls humility, gratitude, and love. But 
let us not be over-anxious about any worldly enjoyments 
or advantages. We would be convinced that all things 
here are unsatisfactory, or fleeting in their nature. 

Blessed Saviour, impress thine own injunction upon 
our minds — Labour not for the meat which perisheth, 
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, 
and which the Son of man shall give to all that come 
unto him. 

Help us each to say with the apostle : " We are cruci- 
fied with Christ, nevertheless we live ; yet not we, but 
Christ liveth in us : and. the life that we now live in the 
flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
us, and gave himself for us, that we should no longer 
live the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men, 
but to the will of God." 

Thus living and walking no longer according to our 
old natural state, but according to the new one which we 
receive by faith, and the principles and means of prac- 
tice, properly belonging thereunto, may we now strive to 



THIRD WEEK. 141 

eontinue and increase in all Christian duties and graces. 
May we continue to love God in Christ as our supreme 
good. We pray for that fear of the Lord which is the 
beginning of wisdom, and by which every wise man de- 
parteth from evil. We would submit ourselves to him, 
saying, upon all proper occasions, the will of the Lord be 
done. May God, of his infinite mercy, grant that we 
may continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and that 
we be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. 
Let our love to mankind be without dissimulation, and 
may we be kindly afifectioned one to another, with 
brotherly love. Instead of stirring up strife, by giving 
vidbj to anger at any time, and using grievous words, help 
us, Lord, by a soft answer to turn away wrath. 

Lord, enable us daily to do good, that we may be rich 
in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communi- 
cate ; laying up in store for ourselves a good foundation 
against the time to come. But, at the same time, keep us 
humble, God, and let us never be desirous of vain glory. 

May we be temperate in all things; and as we would 
ascend at last into the hill of the Lord, and stand ac- 
cepted in his holy place — to this end, bless us, God, 
with a pure heart, and with clean hands, and may we 
every day be growing wiser and better. We would 
thank the Lord, who hath preserved us this day from 
all evil. 

Help us to know the measure of our days, and to keep 
in constant remembrance how frail we are ; our wasting 
frames requiring a fresh supply of spirits and strength, 
by means of rest and repose through the night. 

May we be secure during the night, and take our rest 
in safety; and let the same privileges be conferred upon 
all our brethren and kindred, according to the flesh ; that 
we may all have the blessedness of those who make the 
Lord their trust. 

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly 
above all that we ask, or think, according to the power 
that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church, by 
Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. 
Amen. 



142 THIRD WEEK. 



THURSDAY MORNING. Smith. 

Thou hast sworn by thyself, Lord! the wo^d is 
gone out of thy mouth in righteousness, and shall n re- 
turn, that unto thee "every knee shall bow, and e.ery 
tongue confess." We would, therefore, seek unto God 
betimes, and make our supplications unto the Almighty ; 
pressing ever at the same time upon our spirits that 
important consideration, — though the Lord's throne be 
in heaven, and he dwell by his special presence in his 
holy temple there, yet his eyes for ever behold, and his 
eyelids try the children of- men. Neither is there any 
creature that is not manifest in his sight, but all things 
are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we 
have to do. 

Well may we, indeed, say, " Lord, thou hast searched 
us and known us. Thou knowest our down-sitting and 
our up-rising : thou understandest our thoughts afar off. 
Thou compassest our path, and our lying down, and art 
acquainted with all our ways ; for there is not a word in 
our tongue, but lo ! Lord, thou knowest it altogether. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful for us ; it is high, we 
cannot attain unto it. Oh the depth of the riches both 
of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" 

When we consider all this, " What is man, that thou 
art mindful of him ; and the sons and daughters of men, 
that thou thus visitest them?" In us, that is, in our 
flesh, dwelleth no good thing : we are all as an unclean 
thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. If 
thou. Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who shall 
stand. In thy sight shall no man living be justified. 
And in this guilty and sinful state to which we have re- 
duced ourselves, what can we do but fall down in hum- 
ble adoration at the throne of thy grace, that according 
to the multitude of thy tender compassions, thy merited 
wrath and indignation may be turned away from us? 

When we consider what we have merited, we trem- 



THIRD WEEK. 143 

ble, and are afraid ; but when we consider what thy Son 
has done and suffered for sinners, our broken hearts and 
contrite spirits revive. Remember in mercy, God, 
that he hath satisfied thy justice for us ; and notwith- 
standing we may have been the very chief of sinners, we 
would through him look for pardon, acceptance, and every 
spiritual blessing. 

thou that bi'ndest up the broken in heart, and healest 
the wounded in conscience, say unto our souls, "Go in 
peace, thy faith hath made thee whole.'' Set us as a 
seal upon thine arm, and may we be as one who hath 
found favour in thine eyes. And knowing, God, that 
every one who hath this hope in him purifieth himself, 
even as thou art pure, may we be anxious to follow after 
righteousness and godliness, and to be walking in all the 
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 
We will serve the Lord with fear, and let our hearts 
stand in awe of his word. We will love the Lord our 
God with all our heart, and with all our mind ; and our 
neighbour as ourselves, for his sake. We bless God, 
who hath kept and preserved us during the past night, 
and safely and happily conducted us to the commence- 
ment of a new day. If consistent with thy sovereign 
will, continue thy guardianship and paternal goodness 
throughout its fleeting course. 

Lord, we would renew this morning the consecration 
of our bodies, our souls, our life, our labour, all that is 
in us, and all that belongs to us. We desire to be more 
and more engaged in studying thy will, in promoting 
thy glory, doing good to our fellow-creatures, and work- 
ing out with fear and trembling our own salvation. 
God ! all good ! accept of this sincere and renewed sacri- 
fice ; let it ascend, through thy forbearance, to a throne 
of grace, and may it be accompanied with the merits of 
that sacrifice which thy dear Son offered up for our par- 
don and reconciliation. 

Grant, God, that we may henceforth detach our af- 
fections more and more from the things of time, and 
whilst we are daily labouring for the meat which pe- 



144 THIRD WEEK. 

risheth, may we be truly mindful of that which, endureth 
unto everlasting life. 

May we never forget that we have precious and im- 
mortal soulSj which demand our first and chief atten- 
tion ; and that the gain of the whole world will profit us 
nothing, if, in too anxiously caring about this, we should 
lose our souls. 

And, Lord, whilst we are anxious about the salva- 
tion of our own souls, we would not be unmindful of the 
eternal interests of all our fellow-creatures. We ear- 
nestly pray for the fulfilment of thine ancient promise, 
which saith, "As the earth bringeth forth her bud, and 
as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to 
spring forth, so the Lord Grod will cause righteousness 
and praise to spring forth before all nations." Let the 
number of thy spiritual children be as the sand of the 
sea, which cannot be measured, or numbered; and let it 
come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto 
them, "Ye are not my people," there it shall be said, 
" Ye are the sons and daughters of the living God." 

let thy sun still rise upon the just and the unjust 
among us, and fulfil thy gracious promise, giving us rain 
in due season, that our land may yield her increase, and 
the trees of the field their fruit. God, for the sake of 
thy chosen people, overlook the infidelity and profligacy 
of thousands around us. Hear the prayers of thy ser- 
vants for a general reformation. that we might be a 
holy, and then we shall be a happy people. Continue, 
God, to be the guide, the protector, and the portion of 
all in this family ; and, if consistent with the great de- 
signs of thy providence, let goodness and mercy follow 
us all the days of our lives. Hear us, God, from thy 
dwelling-place, and send us an answer of peace, for his 
sake who alone is worthy, with the Father, and blessed 
Spirit, to receive endless praises. A7nen. 



THIRD WEEK. 145 



THURSDAY EVENING. Smith. 

We would, this evening, lift up our voice unto Grod 
most high, unto God who doeth all things for us. 

Having obtained help of God, we have continued until 
this day, monuments of his sparing mercy. Thou art 
God, and not man, and therefore it is that we have not 
long ere now been cut off from the land of the living. 

We would have these words deeply impressed on our 
minds: " It is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concern- 
ing us, that in every thing we give thanks ; for the Lord 
hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad ; and 
every creature of God is good, if it be received with 
thanksgiving." Let us, therefore, whether we eat or 
drink, or whatsoever we do, give thanks unto God al- 
ways, and for all things, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
In God we live and move. We are the monuments of 
his wisdom, power, and goodness. 

From our youth upward, we have had food to eat and 
raiment given us to put on, with a quiet and peaceable 
habitation to dwell in ; a lodging-place where we have 
taken our rest in safety : yea, both lain down, and risen 
up, from month to month, and from year to year, with- 
out any daring to make us afraid. But what is all this, 
God, to thy spiritual blessings ? It is our privilege, 
and happiness, that we can now say, " God hath visited 
and redeemed his people, as he spake by the mouth of 
all his holy prophets which have been since the world 
began ; and hath performed the mercy promised to our 
fathers, and remembered his holy covenant, even that 
covenant which thou wast pleased to make with thy ser- 
vants, Abraham and Isaac, that in their seed should all 
the nations of the earth be blessed." 

Forbid, God, that any of us should be among that 
unhappy number, who despise or abuse the riches of thy 
goodness, and forbearance, and long suffering patience, 
not knowing that this should lead us to immediate re- 
pentance. For we know not what another night may 
7 



146 THIRD WEEK. 

bring forth ; and " what shall it profit us if we gain the 
.world, and lose our own souls ?" Merciful and gracious 
God, deliver us from a hard and impenitent heart, lest 
w^e should treasure up unto ourselves wrath against the 
day of wrath, and revelation of thy righteous judg- 
ment. 

that we may say, with an inspired apostle, " We 
know w^hom we have believed, and we are persuaded 
that he will keep that which we have committed unto 
him (our precious and immortal souls) safe and secure 
until that day." that we could say, " We love God, 
because he first loved us," and that we have known and 
believed the love which God hath for us ; and therefore 
the desire of our soul is to his name, and towards the re- 
membrance of his holiness. 

that we may delight ourselves more in God, and 
that our hearts might become the dwelling-place of the 
Holy Spirit. We would be washed and sanctified, as 
well as justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by 
the Spirit of our God. 

If thou wilt, God, that we live to-morrow, may it 
be to begin a new life ; a life more conformable to our 
professions and privileges : a life which shall turn out 
more to the advancement of God's glory, the edification 
of our fellow-creatures, and the eternal safety and hap- 
piness of our own souls. 

But if it should please thee to terminate our course 
during the night, may our souls find pardon and accept- 
ance with thee ; and, disengaged from this prison of clay, 
take their flight to the regions of glory, where they shall 
behold thy face in righteousness, and be forever satisfied 
with thy glorious resemblance. 

We would remember with aifection, and in a way of 
prayer, all who are near and dear to us. The Lord be 
their shepherd, that they may never want : not w^ant 
what may be requisite for the support and safety of 
their bodies ; but more especially Ave pray, that our God 
may supply all their spiritual needs, according to his 
riches in glory, by Christ Jesus. Again we commit this 



THIRD WEEK. 147 

house, with every inhabitant therein, young, and old, 
and of middle age, to the Keeper of Israel, who never 
slumbereth nor sleepeth, that he may watch over our 
lying down and rising up, and preserve us from all evil. 
In this hope, we ascribe to the Father, to the Son, and 
to the blessed Spirit, honour and glory, world without 
end. Amen, 



FRIDAY MORNING. Smith. 

Behold us, good and gracious God, at the footstool 
of thy throne this morning. We come to present our 
humble, and sincere adorations to the Author of our life, 
and lengthener out of our days : for it is to thee that we 
are indebted for our preservation during the past night ; 
and thou alone hast caused us to see the beginning of 
this day. Let thy gracious presence be with us during 
the course of it, and all the succeeding days and nights 
of our earthly pilgrimage. And to the end that thou 
mayst hear us, notwithstanding our unworthiness and 
sinfulness, look upon us, God, in the face of thine 
Anointed ; and cause us to be partakers of all the blessed 
fruits of his death and resurrection. We look to the un- 
searchable riches of Christ, that we may see what is the 
fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of 
the world hath been hid in God ; who not only created all 
things by Christ, but was in him reconciling the world 
unto himself; and hath now exalted him to be a Prince 
and a Saviour, to give repentance unto his people, as well 
as the remission of all their sins. that our bodies may 
henceforth be the temples of God, through the Holy 
Spirit dwelling in us, and uniting us to Jesus Christ by 
a true and living faith. We would count all things but 
loss, that we may win Christ, and be found in him, not 
having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but 
that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteous- 
ness which is of God by faith ; and that we may know 
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellow- 



148 THIRD WEEK. 

ship of his sufferings, and be made conformable unto his 
death : not as though we had already attained, either were 
already perfect ; but this one thing we desire to do — 
" forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching 
forth unto those things which are before, we would press 
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God, 
in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thou knowest, God, and 
we would at the same time acknowledge and confess, the 
weakness and corruption of our nature, and to how many 
dangers and temptations we are continually exposed. 
Lord, give us thy strength, and thy grace, to preserve 
and keep us at all times. Let neither the world nor the 
flesh this day seduce us from the paths of duty ; but, ever 
thinking and acting as under God's more immediate in- 
spection, may we keep in the love and fear of all God's 
holy commandments. Teach us in every circumstance, 
God, to know thy will, and give us inclination and 
ability to do it. Continue of thy bounty to provide for 
all our necessities ; and support and comfort us under 
every disappointment and trial which thou mayest see 
proper to bring upon us. 

May we live in thy fear, that we may die in thy fa- 
vour, and so be made both happy and glorious through 
eternity. 

For thy distinguishing, although unmerited goodness 
and mercy towards us, and all who are near and dear to 
us, we once more offer up our united thanksgivings ; say- 
ing at the same time. Let every creature that is in heaven, 
and on the earth, give glory to God for ever and ever. 
And now, Lord, what wait we for ? our hope is in thee. 
Let the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our 
hearts, be acceptable in thy sight^ Lord, our strength 
and our Eedeemer. Amen. 



FRIDAY EVENING. Smith. 

Lord, our God, with humble gratitude we would 
appear in thy presence this evening, to bless thy name for 



THIRD WEEK. 149 

our preservation hitherto ; and more especially for the 
renewed tokens of thy kindness and love during the past 
day. 

We pray that our humble and sincere thanks to God 
for all his mercies may ascend now as incense, and the 
lifting up of our hands he as acceptable as the evening 
sacrifices of old. When we recollect the mercies of the 
past day, Grod, and thy goodness towards us ever 
since we had a being, our souls should be overwhelmed 
with wonder, love, and gratitude ; but ah, how cold and 
insensible ! and what poor returns of love do we make ! 
Lord, forgive the past, and make us more grateful to 
thee in future. We have not rendered unto the Lord 
according to the benefits done unto us ; and if thou. Lord, 
shouldst be strict to mark our deficiencies, alas ! where 
would be our hope ? W^hat, indeed, would our situation 
be, wert thou not a God of infinite mercy, and were not 
severity and judgment thy strange work. 

Yet thy mercy, Lord, is everlasting, and thy com- 
passions fail not. Thou hast said, " As I live, I have no 
pleasure in the death of the wicked ; but that the wicked 
turn from his way and live." And again: " Come now, 
and let us reason together : though your sins be as scar- 
let, they shall be as white as snow ; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool." Who then is a 
God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth 
by the transgressions of thy people ; who retainest not 
thine anger because thou delightest in mercy ? For the 
display of this attribute, and that a solid foundation 
might be laid for our hope, thou didst not spare thine 
only begotten Son, but sent him in due time, to sufi'er 
and die in the room of sinners. It is a faithful saying, 
and not only worthy of all acceptation, but of our high- 
est and daily praise, that " God was in Christ, recon- 
ciling the world unto himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto them ;" and hath committed to his servants, 
in every age, the word of reconciliation. Forbid it, 
then, heavenly Father ! that any of us here present, 
should be amongst that unhappy number to whom thy 



150 THIRD WEEK. 

Son shall at last say, " Ye would not come unto me, 
that ye might have life." But deeply sensible of our 
present sinful and miserable state, convinced that there 
is no other name under heaven by which we can be 
saved, and divinely persuaded of the willingness, as 
well as all-sufficiency of the Son of God, for this pur- 
pose, may we each, in due time, believe to the saving of 
the soul. 

Through him alone we look for pardon, for justifica- 
tion, for adoption into the family of heaven, and for a 
renovation of all the powers and faculties of our mind 
and soul, to enlighten and fit us for a holy practice. 

We know from past experience that we are not suffi- 
cient of ourselves, either to will or to do ; but thy grace 
is sufficient for us, and thy strength can be perfected in 
our weakness. We pray that the law of the Spirit of 
life which is in Christ, may make us free from the law 
of sin and death. We shall then, God, enjoy comfort 
through life, peace at death, and glory in heaven. 

This night would we again commend ourselves, and 
all that is near and dear to us, unto thy fatherly care 
and special protection. Preserve us from every danger, 
and let us never be separated from thy love in Christ 
Jesus. Grant, God, the pardon of all the sins which 
we have committed during the past day ; as well those 
that lie heavy upon our consciences, as those which 
through infirmity we have forgotten. 

Give thine angels charge, God, in a particular man- 
ner, with respect to this family, that heads, and domes- 
tics, and children belonging to it, may all be preserved 
from the malice and power of the prince of darkness. 
Should our souls be required at our hands this night, 
may we be ready to resign them into the arms of a 
covenant God in Christ : but should our life be spared, 
may we more cheerfully and entirely dedicate it to Him 
unto whom it best belongs, and who alone can make us 
happy here and hereafter. Now unto the King eternal, 
immortal, and invisible, the only wise God, be honour, 
and glory : for of him, and through him, and to him, 
are all things. Amen* 



THIRD WEEK. 161 



SATURDAY MORNING. Smith. 

Lord Grod Almighty ! which was^ and is, and art to 
come : with thee is the fountain of life, and thou art the 
Author of every good and perfect gift. We would, 
therefore, give unto the Lord the glory and thanksgiv- 
ing which is due unto his name, and worship him this 
morning in the beauty of holiness. But how shall we, 
whose thoughts are vanity, and whose hands and hearts 
are so impure, presume to address the sacred Majesty 
of heaven and earth ? We take encouragement only, 
God, from thy perfections, and from the gracious 
declarations of thy revealed will. '' Thou art infinitely 
wise, and holy, and just, and good ; but thou hast mag- 
nified thy mercy above thy great name.'' Blessed, for 
ever blessed, be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who sent not his Son into the world to condemn 
the world, but that the world through him might be 
saved. God, for Christ's sake, forgive us all our 
sins ; and according to the good pleasure of thy will, 
and to the praise of the glory of thy grace, may we be 
accepted in the Beloved. We would be justified by 
faith alone, and thus have peace with God through our 
Lord Jesus Christ; for we believe that he is the end of 
the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 
And may this faith, God, not be of a dead and 
barren nature, but may it work by love, and purify our 
hearts. 

God, thy word is truth ; sanctify us through belief 
of the truth. According to thine own promise, give 
unto each of us a new spirit, and take away the stony 
heart out of our flesh, that we may walk in thy statutes, 
and keep thine ordinances, and do them. Thus may we 
hope that we shall be thy people, and that thou wilt con- 
tinue to be our God, and portion, in time and through 
eternity. 

Accept of our thanks, God, for all that mercy and 
goodness which hath followed us through every period 



152 THIRD WEEK. 

of our past life ; for sparing us under the weakness and 
diseases of childhood ; conducting our steps through the 
slippery paths of youth ; and preserving us still amidst 
the no less surrounding dangers of riper years. 

We thank thee for the food we have to eat, the rai- 
ment wherewith we are clothed, for the comfortable 
habitations we have to dwell in, and the many conve- 
niences and privileges that we enjoy above numbers 
around us, and in other parts of this habitable world. 

We thank thee, God, for another night's comfort- 
able rest. We have laid us down and slept in peaceful 
security. Thou hast caused the out-goings of another 
morning to rejoice over us. We are brought in safety 
and health to the light and enjoyments of another day. 
Defend and keep us in the same, God, from all harm, 
whether of a temporal or spiritual nature. Prosper us 
in all our lawful undertakings this day; and give us 
humble and thankful hearts to enjoy the good things 
which thou hast provided for us. 

Provide, God, in thy mercy and goodness, for the 
wants of the poor and needy. Thou hast promised to 
regard the prayer of the destitute. Help them to wait 
upon thee in the use of every lawful mean, and then to 
see that their expectation shall not perish. thou who 
art in thy holy habitation a Father to the fatherless, and 
the Judge of the widow, according to thy word, help and 
relieve all those who commit themselves unto thee. 

Lord, be merciful to the sick and afflicted part of man- 
kind. Spare young and useful lives; and prepare the 
dying for their last change. It is said in thy word, " The 
Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and 
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.'' Lord, fulfil this 
promise in respect unto all such as may be distressed in 
mind. May it please thee to have compassion according 
to the multitude of thy tender mercies. And wilt thou 
be pleased to sanctify bereaving dispensations to all con- 
cerned. May neither we, nor ours, sorrow as those who 
have no hope : but ever remembering that as Jesus Christ 
himself died and rose again from the dead, so them that 



THIRD WEEK. 153 

sleep in Jesus will God bring with him : may we comfort 
ourselves and one another with these words. As those 
who are near and dear to us are daily dropping off the 
stage of life, may we love heaven better, and strive to 
have clearer views of our interest in gospel privileges 
and hopes. To us to live, and while we live, may it 
indeed be Christ, and then to die will be everlasting gain. 
And now, our God, hear the prayer of thy servants, 
and their supplications. Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; 
Lord, hearken, and do, and defer not, for thine own 
name's sake and for thy Son's sake ; who, with the Holy 
Spirit, are worthy to receive all honour and glory, world 
without end. Amen. 



SATURDAY EVENING. Smith. 

Lord God of Israel, according to thy promise in these 
latter days, pour out thy Spirit upon all thy servants 
here present ; even the spirit of wisdom and of truth. 
Let him teach us all things, and bring all things to our 
remembrance whatsoever we should say unto thee, and 
then give ear to our prayer, God, and hide not thyself 
from our supplications ; but hearken thou, and hear in 
heaven thy dwelling-place, and when thou hearest, for- 
give, and accept of our persons, and this our evening 
sacrifice. We would review, and acknowledge all thy 
merciful dealings towards us this week. Six days more 
thou hast added to our lives, and every morning we have 
experienced thy loving-kindness ; and every evening we 
have had reason to celebrate thy faithfulness. Whilst 
many have been exposed to hunger and cold, we have 
been fed and clothed by thy bounty. Multitudes in the 
world have this week been suddenly called from time to 
eternity ; but God is still holding our soul in life. Night 
after night we have laid ourselves down to sleep, and we 
have awakened in the morning, for the Lord sustained 
us ; yea, we have lain down in peace, and our sleep hath 
been sweet. For all this we would be thankful to thee, 
7* 



154 THIRD WEEK. 

Lord, who makest us to dwell in safety, and whose 
visitation alone preserveth our spirit. But we would be 
chiefly thankful for the continuance of our spiritual pri- 
vileges and comforts. 

Blessed be God, that our land is still the land of gos- 
pel light and liberty ; and that we can worship thee both 
in private and public, without any one daring to disturb 
us. God grant that we may never undervalue or abuse 
these privileges ; as knowing that our guilt and condem- 
nation will then be severer in the day of judgment. 

We would be more and more thankful for the means 
of grace, and all the ordinances of divine appointment. 
May the daily reading of thy word increase our spiritual 
knowledge, confirm our faith, and animate our hopes. 
Let our morning and evening sacrifices keep us in a holy 
and watchful frame through the day, and dispose us to 
resign ourselves to thy gracious keeping during the 
night. 

And may the return of every Sabbath be looked 
forward to with increasing delight ! Lord, make us 
thankful for the near approach of another Lord's day 
Sabbath. 

Shouldst thou see meet m thy goodness, and by thine 
all-protecting providence, to spare us to see the light of 
another morning, may we all be in the Spirit upon the 
Lord's day, and worship God, who is a Spirit, in spirit 
and in truth. We would not forsake the assembling of 
ourselves together, as the manner of some is. May we 
love the habitation of thy house, and the place where 
thine honour dwelleth ; thither would our willing feet 
repair, that we may publish, with the voice of thanks- 
giving, God's manifold mercies, and tell of all his won- 
drous works. Lord, bless the studies and preparation of 
thy ministering servants ; may they be as scribes who 
are well instructed unto the kingdom of Heaven, and 
bring forth, out of their treasures, things new and old. 
May they convince and convert sinners, and build up 
and comfort the saints. 

Permit us once more to commit, to thy care and keep- 



THIRD WEEK. 155 

ing, our absent relatives and friends. Although at a 
distance from us, may they be nigh unto the Lord our 
God day and night, that he may maintain their cause at 
all times, as the matter shall require. 

Lord, be merciful to the sick and afflicted part of man- 
kind. Whatever be the cause, or the event of their pre- 
sent visitation, may they have reason to say with thy 
servant of old, " It is good for us that we have been af- 
flicted ; for thereby have we learned thy statutes.'' 

Merciful and gracious God, lay not upon such more 
than thou wilt enable them to bear ; and soon, if it be thy 
holy will, let the language of the Psalmist be theirs — 
^'Return unto thy rest, my soul, for the Lord hath 
dealt bountifully with thee." 

For the world in general we would once more entreat 
at a throne of grace. Look down from heaven, God, 
and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and glory, 
a world lying in ignorance and wickedness. God be 
merciful to us, and bless us, and cause thy face to shine 
upon us, that thy way may be known upon earth, and 
thy saving health among all nations. Blessed Jesus, 
thou hast expressly declared that thy gospel shall be 
preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations. 
We long for that happy time when the Jews shall be 
brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles. Then 
should we behold mercy and truth meet together, right- 
eousness and .peace mutually embrace. Nation shall 
not then lift up sword against nation, neither shall they 
learn war any more. Lord, although not permitted to 
see these happy times, may we now rejoice in the pros- 
pect, and at last die in the comfortable hope of their 
arrival. This night we would again commit ourselves,. 
and all our concerns, to God's paternal care and keep- 
ing, in the hope of being raised up in the morning to 
see and enjoy another day of the Son of man. For 
his sake, we ask every blessing. — And to him, with thee, 
Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all glory, and praise, 
and humble worship, for ever. Amen, 



156 FOURTH WEEK. 



FOURTH VrUBK. 



SABBATH MORNING. BicJcersteth. 

Almighty God, Creator, Governor, and Upliolder 
of all things, who, after making the heaven and earth, 
didst rest on the seventh day, and bless and sanctify it, 
teach us now, resting from our worldly labours, to de- 
vote the day to thy service. thou, whose Son did, as 
on this day, rise again from the dead, grant us grace to 
rise from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. 
Help us now, in his name, to seek thy blessing on those 
holy duties to which the Sabbath is set apart. 

We bless and praise thee for the appointment of this 
day, and for all the means of grace which we enjoy in 
this highly favoured land. We bless thee that thy house 
is open, that thy ministers have liberty to preach, and 
we have opportunity and inclination to assemble with 
thy people and hear thy holy word. 

Above all, we thank thee for the knowledge of Jesus 
Christ ; for free justification and salvation through his 
life, death, and resurrection. We praise thee for the gift 
of thy Holy Spirit. Blessed, for ever blessed, be thou, 
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for all 
these thy benefits. 

Great have been thy mercies to us ; but with shame 
we confess that we have slighted thy goodness, and care- 
lessly regarded thy great salvation. How many Sabbaths 
have we broken ; how many invitations of mercy have 
we neglected ; how many warnings and threatenings have 
we trifled with ! How cold have been our prayers ; how 
great our irreverence ; how inexcusable our unbelief ! 

Forgive us, forgive us, all our negligences, and in- 
firmities, and all our sins and iniquities. To the Lord 
our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we 
have rebelled against him. Return again and bless us. 



FOURTH WEEK. 157 

Graciously be present with us, through all the solemn 
services of this day. Enable us to go to thy house in 
the spirit of prayer. Pour out upon us, and all that shall 
meet in thy name, the spirit of grace and supplication. 
Let none of us draw near to thee with our lips only, 
while our hearts are far from thee ; but enable us to wor- 
ship thee in spirit and in truth. Cause thy face to shine 
upon us. Grant that we may find that the Lord is in his 
holy temple, and be able to say. It was good for us to 
have been there ! Prepare our hearts to receive thy holy 
word, that it may be sown in good ground, and bring 
much fruit to perfection. 

Bless especially all such as hope this day again to re- 
ceive the memorials of our Saviour's sufi'erings and death. 
May contrition, penitence, faith, humility, and love, be 
in lively exercise, and be greatly increased. 

Help all of us, not only to abstain from engaging in 
our usual business and occupation, but also keep us from 
worldly conversation, and from vain thoughts. Raise 
our afi'ections to things above, and let our conversation 
be in heaven. Enable us to give this day to reading and 
hearing thy word, to meditation, self-examination, and 
prayer ; and be thou with us to bless us in our retired 
devotions. 

And, Father of mercies, we beseech thee to bless all 
that minister in holy things. Multiply unto them thy 
grace, that they may be faithful, diligent, and laborious. 
Grant them humility, disinterestedness, watchfulness, 
and zeal ; may all have grace to take heed to themselves, 
and to the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made 
them overseers, feeding the church of God which he has 
purchased with his own blood. Stand by and strengthen 
them this day. Open thou their mouths, and enable 
them to testify boldly the gospel of the grace of God. 
We especially pray for him who ministers among us. 
May he this day be enabled to speak a word in season 
to us, and to all that hear him. 

And, we beseech thee, grant that this thy Sabbath 
may be distinguished by great and singular mercies to 



158 FOURTH WEEK. 

thy churcli. Be thou with all Christian congregations 
meeting to worship thee. By the ministry of thy word 
this day, convert many sinners; heal those that have 
backslidden, strengthen those that are weak, and confirm 
those that are strong. Give thy holy word free course, 
and let it be glorified in every land, and among every 
people. Hear us, and answer us, for our Lord Jesus 
Christ's sake. Amen. 
Our Father, &c. 



SABBATH EVENING. Bichersteth. 

Holy, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty, which was, 
and is, and art to come ! Thou art of purer eyes than to 
behold iniquity; thou chargest thine angels with folly, 
and in thy sight the heavens are not clean ; we approach 
thee, then, only in the name of Jesus Christ. 

We confess, Lord, how defective and defiled all our 
services are. We acknowledge that our prayers are full 
of distractions. Our very petitions need thy pardon, our 
cold intercessions for others increase our own guilt, and 
our unworthy thanksgivings fall utterly short of thy great 
goodness to us. We carelessly and unbelievingly hear 
thy word. All we do is polluted and sinful. forgive 
us. Forgive the sins of solemn duties ; and let that great 
High Priest, who is passed into the heavens, bearing the 
iniquities of our holy things, plead for us in thy sight. 

And grant, most merciful Lord, that it may not be in 
vain that we enjoy such distinguished privileges as thou 
hast given to us, lest it be more tolerable for Sodom and 
Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for us. Let not 
the seed of the word of God which has this day been sown 
in our hearts, be plucked away by Satan, lost through 
temptation, or choked with the cares of this life; but 
having heard it and received it, incline us to keep it, aiad 
do thou cause it to bring forth fruit, an hundred fold. 

Grant that our lives may exhibit whose we are, and 
whom we serve: remembering that if we know our 



FOURTH WEEK. 159 

Lord's will, and do it not, we shall justly have the se- 
verer punishment. We humbly beseech thee, strengthen 
our resolutions to live more decidedly to thee. We feel 
that we now have again to enter into the contest with 
our spiritual enemies; make us more than conquerors 
through him that loved us. We have again to exert our- 
selves to run the race set before us ; teach us ever to look 
unto Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. let 
us take the more earnest heed never to let slip the things 
which we have heard. 

And we pray for all those who have this day assembled 
before thee, and heard the word of salvation. Grant unto 
them the same mercies which we ask for ourselves. Let 
thy ministers, that water others, be themselves abun- 
dantly watered in their own soul. Strengthen them for 
thy work, both in body and soul. 

Remember, in mercy, those who by thy .providence 
have been kept from thy house, and let them receive a 
special supply of thy grace. Grant that those who have 
wilfully or ignorantly deprived themselves of public wor- 
ship, may have their eyes opened to see, and their hearts 
awakened to feel their guilt and their danger, and learn 
to flee from the wrath to come. hasten the time when 
thy house shall be a house of prayer for all nations, and 
the whole world shall worship in thy courts. 

Thanks be unto God for all the privileges of the past 
Sabbath. Blessed be thy name that we were permitted 
to hear thy word, to join thy people in prayer and praise, 
and to enjoy so plentifully the means of grace. Blessed 
be our God for any thing of communion with him, or 
desire after him. Blessed be God, if the grace of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, or his holy word, be more understood 
or valued by us. Our cup runneth over with mercies. 

Lord, if, amid our infirmities, thy Sabbaths here be- 
low rejoice the heart; if to rest from earthly labours, 
and enjoy the privileges of thy house in this world be 
delightful ; how should we thank thee for the prospect of 
an eternal Sabbath, where thy servants shall serve thee 
without one wandering thought, without weariness, and 



160 FOURTH WEEK. 

without distraction ! grant, in mercy grant, that none 
of those who have this day met together in thy house, 
may be wanting in the number of those who shall dwell 
in that house not made with hands, eternal in the hea- 
vens, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 
Our Father, &c. 



MONDAY MORNING. BicJcersteth. 

Almighty ,GaD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 
who hast said that thou wilt be the God of all the families 
of Israel, and they shall be thy people ; dispose our hearts 
by the gracious influence of thy Holy Spirit, to worship 
thee through one Mediator, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Thou art God, and there is none beside thee : the Crea- 
tor of heaven and earth, the Lord of glory, the Lord God, 
merciful and gracious, long suffering, abundant in good- 
ness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving 
iniquity, and transgressions, and sin, and that will by no 
means clear the guilty. We bow and worship at thy 
footstool ; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. 

Accept, through thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, our 
unfeigned thanksgivings for the mercies of another day. 
Thou gavest us our being, and thou preservest us from 
day to day. Through the defenceless hours of the night 
thou hast kept us in safety. Thou hast given us a soul 
capable of knowing and rejoicing in thee, and a body by 
which we may serve thee. 

We bless thee for the seeing eye, and the hearing ear, 
for the free use of our limbs and our senses, for the power 
of the mind, and the affections of the heart. 

But, Lord, we thank thee most of all for thy spirit- 
ual blessings. We bless thee that we were not born in 
heathen lands, but in this favoured country, where the 
light of thy truth clearly shines. We thank thee for 
the comfort of the Holy Scriptures, for the labours of 
faithful ministers, and for all the means of grace. 



FOURTH WEEK. 161 

how great has been thy love to us ! Thou sparedst not 
thine own Son, but deliveredst him up for us all, and 
with him thou hast freely given us all things. 

What reward shall we render unto the Lord for all his 
benefits ? We desire now afresh to devote ourselves to 
thy service. We give up ourselves, our whole selves 
unto thee. God of peace, sanctify us wholly : God of 
our life, grant that our whole spirit, and soul, and body, 
may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

But with shame and confusion of face, we would con- 
fess that we have been rebellious and disobedient. Thou 
art holy, but we are unholy. Thou art merciful, but we 
have often been selfish and unkind. Thou art pure, but 
we are impure. Thou art patient, but we are impatient. 
We have abused all thy gifts, and made them occasions 
of sin. Lord, we acknowledge our impenitence, we con- 
fess our unbelief, we bewail our self-righteousness. 

Forgive us all our ofi'ences, remember not against us 
our transgressions, but remember thy great and tender 
mercies which have been ever of old. Grant unto every 
one of us a saving interest in the death of Christ, full 
and free forgiveness of all our sins, and grace and 
strength to go and sin no more. Lord, help us to love 
thee, teach us to serve thee. Give us thy strength that 
we may overcome our corrupt nature. Grant that this 
day we may have power from on high to resist every 
temptation, to confess Christ before men, to labour stead- 
fastly with a single eye to thy glory, to live in the spirit 
of prayer, in faith, humility, self-denial, and love, and 
to walk before thee in that narrow way which leads to 
eternal life. Fill us with love to others. Teach us to 
do good to all men, [and to seek according to our 
means to visit and relieve the fatherless and the widows 
in their affliction,] and do thou keep us unspotted from 
the world. 

Lord, for thy name's sake, hear us. We beseech thee, 
according to thy infinite mercy, give us grace to serve 
thee, constantly and unfeignedly. Herein art thou glo- 



162 FOURTH WEEK. 

rified, that we bear much fruit. For thine own glory, 
grant us thy Spirit, that we may bring forth all the 
fruits of righteousness. 

And hear us farther in behalf of our relations and 
friends, our neighbourhood, our minister, and all for 
whom we ought to pray. Help those that are weak. 
Comfort those that are cast down. Heal those that are 
sick. Relieve those that are in distress. Be merciful 
unto thy church. bless us, and cause thy face to 
shine upon us, that thy way may be known upon earth, 
thy saving health among all nations. Bring the Gen- 
tiles to Christ. Gather thy people Israel into thy fold. 
Give wisdom and power to every effort of Christian love 
for spreading thy gospel. Bless all societies formed for 
this end, and let those who support and conduct them, 
have thy direction and guidance. Lord, grant that the 
power of the cross of Christ, may at length fully tri- 
umph over all error and superstition, all idolatry, and 
delusion, and sin. 

Gracious Lord, not for our worthiness, but for the 
only name's sake of Jesus Christ, hear these our pray- 
ers, which we sum up in his own words. 

Our Father, &c. 



MONDAY EVENING. Bichersteth, 

Eternal God, whose name is love, and who so loved 
the world that thou gavest thine only-begotten Son, that 
whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have 
everlasting life, help us, by the Holy Spirit, to believe in 
Christ Jesus ; and trusting in him to have access unto thee. 

We feel our need of a Saviour for sinners ; for we all 
have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. When 
we look back even on the past day, thy law accuses us 
of many sins, and our own consciences justly condemn 
us. We have been forgetful of thy presence ; our con- 
versation has been light and trifling ; and we have not 
with a single eye sought thy glory, or copied the holy 



FOURTH WEEK. 163 

life of our Saviour Christ. He left us a perfect exam- 
ple, but how seldom we tread in his steps : how little we 
have of his meekness and lowliness of heart, of his zeal 
and love! We have sinned, notwithstanding the light 
of thy word, and the checks of our own consciences. 

Grant us thy grace that we may not be hardened 
through the deceitfulness of sin. Give us true repent- 
ance, and such a sense of our sinfulness as may lead us 
to despair of salvation by any works of our own ; and 
bring us humbled and penitent to the foot of the cross. 
Help us by faith to behold the Lamb of God which 
taketh away the sin of the world. Teach us to renounce 
our own righteousness, and to depend wholly on Jesus 
Christ : may we be able to say and feel, " In the Lord 
have I righteousness and strength." 

Teach us to come to Jesus Christ, and now to look to 
him, not only for pardon and peace, but also for grace 
and strength. We are weak, but Jesus is strong : grant 
that we may be made strong in and through him. Draw 
us to Christ, that we may receive out of his fulness all 
that we need, repentance, remission of sins, and the gift 
of thy Holy Spirit ; that he may dwell in our hearts by 
faith, and we be rooted and grounded in love. 

We commend ourselves to thy care during the night. 
Let no evil come nigh us. May our last thoughts be 
with thee; and when we awake, may we be still with 
thee. Refresh our bodies with the quiet repose of the 
night, and renew our spiritual strength. Teach us ever 
to watch and pray, and to be always ready, seeing we 
know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man 
shall come. 

Extend thy merciful care to all that are near and dear 
to us. We pray for all our relatives. May those that 
are endeared to us by the ties of nature, be yet more 
dear by the stronger bonds of grace. Grant that we 
may be all one in Christ Jesus our Lord. We pray for 
our Christian friends, for our neighbours, and all with 
whom we have intercourse. 

Bless those that minister before the Lord. May they be 



164 FOURTH WEEK. 

faithful, wise, humble, and devoted servants of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Every where raise up pastors according 
to thine heart, which shall feed thy people with know- 
ledge and understanding. Grant thy blessing to every 
missionary now preaching Christ to the Gentiles. Cause 
Jew and Gentile to turn to the Lord, that they may be 
saved. Bring on the happy day, when there shall be 
one fold and one Shepherd ; and they shall not hurt, nor 
destroy, in all thy holy mountain. 

thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, we praise 
and bless thee for thy great and continued mercies to us. 
All things thou givest to us richly for enjoyment. We 
receive from thee full provision for all our temporal 
wants, and thou forgivest our iniquities. 

Like as a father pitieth his children, so thou our Lord 
and Father pitiest them that fear thee. Thou knowest 
our frame ; thou rememberest that we are dust. Thou 
hast had compassion on us in our low and lost estate, 
and thou gavest thy Son to die for us ; and now thou 
offerest and givest us thy Holy Spirit, to soften our hard 
hearts and to help our infirmities. Thou justifiest us 
freely by thy grace, adoptest us into thy family, and 
givest us a hope full of glory. 

Behold what manner of love thou our Father hast be- 
stowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God ! 
God of mercy, grant, only grant, that we may be fol- 
lowers of thee as dear children, and show forth thy 
praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, through 
Jesus Christ. 

And now blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, 
be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen. 

Our Father, &c. 

The Lord bless us, and keep us. 

The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be 
gracious unto us. 

The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give 
us peace. 



FOURTH WEEK. 165 



TUESDAY MORNING. Biehersteth. 

Almighty God, source of every good, and fountain 
of every blessing, the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and in him our God and Father, give us 
the Spirit of adoption, and enable us to cry, Abba, Fa- 
ther. Help us to come and pour out our hearts before 
thee with the same confidence and affection with which 
children go to an earthly parent. Enable us to repose 
on thy love, to tell thee all our desires, and all our sor- 
rows; and from the heart, to thank thee for all thy 
goodness to us. 

Great and abundant cause we have to bless our God 
for all that he is in himself, and for all that he is to us. 
Thy mercies are new every morning. We thank thee 
that we meet together in peace and safety. Thou hast 
been our defence and our refuge. Let then the outgo- 
ings of the morning and of the evening praise thee. 

We thank thee more especially for all the mercies of 
redemption. In the gospel of Christ, mercy and truth 
meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each 
other. Thus can even we rejoice in thy power and jus- 
tice, thy holiness, mercy, and love ; and bless thee that 
the light of the knowledge of this thy glory shines, in 
the hearts of thy people, in the face of Jesus Christ. 
Blessed be thou, the just God and the Saviour. 

how unworthy we are of the least of thy mercies ! 
We are all sinful and guilty. We have turned every 
one to his own way. We would give thee glory by an 
ingenuous and free confession that in many things we 
have all offended thee. From our youth up, even till 
now, we have been great sinners. 

We dare not justify ourselves in thy sight, for if we 
should attempt it, even our own mouths would condemn 
us. We have omitted to perform many plain duties. 
We have done many things for which our consciences 
justly accuse us. All our righteousnesses are defiled. 
All our prayers and services are polluted. 



166 FOURTH WEEK. 

Yet spare us, good Lord, spare us, according to thy 
great compassion and thy tender mercy. Lord God of 
our salvation, it is thy gracious promise on which our 
souls rely, that if we confess our sins thou art faithful 
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness. We now confess our sins, and we 
ask that they may be forgiven, and that our souls may 
be purified from sin. We plead for thy mercy, for 
Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree. We 
plead thy faithfulness according to thy many precious 
promises. 

Cleanse, we beseech thee, the thoughts of our hearts, 
by the influence of thy Holy Spirit, that we may per- 
fectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name. 
Strengthen us for the duties of this day. Suffer us not 
to be tempted above what we are able to bear ; but with 
every temptation, make a way to escape. Incline and 
enable us to walk in that way. 

Hold thou up our goings in thy paths, that our foot- 
steps slip not. Set a watch before our mouths, and 
keep the door of our lips, that we offend not with our 
tongue. May we always speak that which is good to 
the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the 
hearers. Enable us also to keep our heart with all dili- 
gence, seeing that out of it are the issues of life. In- 
crease our faith, enliven our hope, and enlarge our 
charity, that we may faithfully serve thee, and in all 
things glorify thy holy name. 

We pray for all our relatives and friends. Give them 
prosperity both of body and soul.* Grant that grace and 

* When any member of the family is sick, add — 

We particularly commend unto thee that member of our family now 
in affliction ; may faith, patience, submission, and resignation, be 
granted in this hour of trial, and in thy own good time remove the 
affliction. And, Lord, grant that all our tribulations here below may 
lead us to look at the things which are above, and work out for us a 
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Ever give us a spirit 
of sympathy, and tender feeUng, and love for each other ; and may 
we always be ready to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with 
those that rejoice. 



FOURTH WEEK. 167 

peace may be multiplied to all those that call on the 
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. 
Seek and save the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 
Let the light of life shine into every benighted heart. 
Increase especially among the people of this nation, the 
number of those who know, and love, and serve thee. 
Bless our rulers, and guide our statesmen ; teach thy 
ministers and prosper thy people, that there may be no 
complaining in our streets ; and that it may be said of 
us, " Happy is the people that is in such a case ; yea, 
happy is that people whose God is the Lord.'' 

These prayers we offer up in the name and through 
the mediation of thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Our Father, &c. 



TUESDAY EVENING. Bichersteth. 

Thou, who art the God of all the families of the 
earth, who didst favourably notice Abraham's command- 
ing his children and his household after him to keep the 
way of the Lord ; be thou present with us now, and 
enable us by thy Holy Spirit, and through thy Son's 
intercession, to worship thee in spirit and in truth. 

We come before thee, acknowledging that we were all 
born in sin, the children of wrath, and have in common 
a corrupt nature and a continual propensity to depart 
from thee. And how often have we offended thee, 
the God of all the earth, by actual transgressions ! 

Even in the day that is past, by vain thoughts, by 
idle words, by sinful indulgences, we have grieved thy 
Spirit, and we have incurred thy displeasure. Our only 
refuge is in thy promised mercy in Christ Jesus. We 

W^hen any member of the family is on a journey, add — 
O Lord, we beseech thee, regard with thy favour, protect and defend 
him who is now absent from us. Take him under thy special care. 
Preserve him from every temptation. Prosper him in his undertaking's 
May he be a blessing every where he goes ; and bring him in health and 
peace among us again, that we may together have fresh cause to praise 
and bless thy holy name. 



168 FOURTH WEEK. 

cast ourselves wholly on that mercy. Fixing all our 
hopes on our Saviour Jesus, we confess our guilt, and 
earnestly pray that his blood may cleanse us from all 
sin. 

And give us, we beseech thee, the comfortable assur- 
ance that our sins are forgiven. Let thy Holy Spirit 
bear witness with our spirits that we are children of God. 
Plentifully impart to us the gift of thy Spirit, that we 
may bring forth love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, 
meekness, long-suffering, forbearance, and temperance. 
Grant that we may so copy the example of our Saviour, 
as to be the epistles of Christ, known and read of all 
men; and have clear evidence of our own salvation. 
Teach us so to live, that we may glorify thee who hast 
bought us with a price of such amazing value as the 
blood of thine own Son. 

that all now kneeling together may indeed obtain 
mercy in Christ Jesus, may pass from death unto life, 
and love and serve thee unfeignedly. But, Lord, how 
cold is our love to thee ! how dead, how dull are our 
hearts ! Help us to love thee ; to love God with all our 
heart, with all our mind, with all our soul, and with all 
our strength. Shed abroad the love of God in our hearts, 
by giving us the Holy Ghost ; and may we be taught of 
God to love one another. Be thou present with us in 
our more retired devotions ; praying to our Father which 
is in. secret in our closet, may we find his presence and 
blessing there. 

Bless, Lord, all that are near and dear to us. Many 
beloved relatives and friends are now absent from us ; 
but thou art with them, and all their wants are known to 
thee. Give them thy grace ; ever guide them here by 
thy counsel, and may none of them be wanting in thy 
heavenly kingdom. 

We pray for all in authority ; Lord, may their coun- 
sels be ordered by thee as may be most for the good of 
our country. 

Give, we beseech thee, to all ministers of Jesus Christ 
every where, true knowledge and understanding of thy 



FOURTH WEEK. 169 

word ; and may they set it forth in their lives accord- 
ingly. Make them wise to win souls. Lord, call forth 
and send out many faithful labourers to the work of the 
ministry. May the distant isles wait on thee, and the 
Gentiles come to thy light. Bless every society esta- 
blished for benefiting the bodies or the souls of men, and 
especially those in which we are more immediately en- 
gaged and interested. 

Thanks be unto thee, Holy Lord God, for all thy 
goodness towards us. How multiplied are thy mercies 
every day ! How excellent is thy loving-kindness ! We 
bless thee for all thy long suffering and forbearance to- 
wards us. We bless thee for the infinite mercies of re- 
deeming love. We bless thee for the knowledge of thy 
salvation, and for the light of thy truth ; for protection 
from every danger during the night, and provision for 
all our wants by day. Thou hast spread our table with 
food, and thou givest us every needful good. Accept 
these our prayers and our praises, which we ofier up in 
and through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advo- 
cate. Amen. 

Our Father, &c. 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. Bichenteth. 

Lord God Almighty, the Creator of heaven and 
earth, the Lord of glory, who art greatly to be feared in 
the assembly of thy saints, and to be had in reverence 
of all them that are round about thee ; who dwellest in 
heaven, surrounded with angels and archangels, with 
cherubim and seraphim, who veil their faces while they 
praise and worship ; we bow down before thee in the 
name of Jesus Christ. None other name, but the name 
of Jesus ; none other merits, but the merits of Jesus, 
would we plead in thy sight : but by him, through one 
Spirit, may we now have access with confidence to the 
throne of grace. 

Thou who«e name is holy, who hast required that 
8 



170 FOURTH WEEK. 

we confess our faults one to another ; we would now 
confess our many and our great sins. We have often 
sinned against thee, and against each other, in thought, 
word, and deed. forgive our hardness of heart, and 
our earthly-mindedness ; all our want of charity, all our 
hastiness of spirit, all our bad tempers, and every sinful 
action. 

For thine own name's sake blot out our transgressions, 
and remember not our sins. 

Lord of all grace, help us ever hereafter to walk wor- 
thy of the vocation wherewith we are called. May we, 
with all lowliness, and meekness, with long-suffering, 
forbearing one another in love, endeavour to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Give us grace 
so to live, that we may find more and more how good 
and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in 
unity. 

Give unto each of us grace to fulfil our duties toward 
each other. As parents^ may we bring up our children 
in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ; and as chil' 
dren^ obey our parents in all things. 

We ask for blessings on our native land. Lord, we 
would sigh before thee for all the abominations of our 
country. how the swearer, the Sabbath-breaker, the 
covetous, the licentious, and the blasphemer, abound on 
every side ! Because of these things the wrath of God 
comes on the children of disobedience. Spare us, good 
Lord, spare us, for thy name's sake. Grant, we beseech 
thee, that as we have been peculiarly distinguished by 
thy mercies, so it may have to be said of us, '' Surely 
this great nation is a wise and understanding people, for 
what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto 
them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call 
upon him for." 

Pour out of thy Spirit on all who have the direction 
of public affairs ; on all who minister in holy things ; on 
the magistrates ; and on the people ; that a general re- 
vival of religion may appear among us. Cause thy 
church every where to flourish and increase. We pray 



FOURTH WEEK. 171 

especially for an increase of the zeal, purity and love, 
humility and devotion of thy people. Let Zion break 
forth on the right hand and on the left. Add daily to 
thy church, in our own country, and in heathen lands, 
such as shall be saved. Bless every missionary gone 
forth to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches 
of Christ, and may more and more grace be given unto 
them all, that they may labour zealously, wisely, and 
abundantly in thy cause. 

And now. Lord, accept our unfeigned thanksgivings, 
for all those blessings which we daily so richly enjoy, 
and especially for the kind protection of another night. 
We thank thee more especially for those many dear ties 
of relationship, affection, and Christian principles, which 
bind us together. We bless thee for all that sympathy 
of feeling and union of heart which thou hast given us ; 
and we pray that we may be more and more knit toge- 
ther in Christian love. 

But, beyond all other mercies, we bless thee for the 
common salvation of Jesus Christ ; for his birth, his life, 
his death, and his resurrection ; for all that he was, and 
is, and will be. Blessed be God for the gift of his Son 
Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, our only hope, and our 
sure refuge. 

We trust that we may say we are one in Christ, mem- 
bers of that body of which he is the head ; and we bless 
and praise thee for this thy unspeakable mercy. We 
thank thee for this opportunity of assembling ourselves 
together, to pay our morning sacrifice ; and we pray that 
however we may be separated here below, or however 
scattered in different stations ; as we have now met to- 
gether here on earth, we may hereafter all meet in hea- 
ven, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. Bickersteth. 

Gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, great in 
power, and rich in mercy to all them that call upon thee, 



172 FOURTH WEEK. 

help us now so, in the name of Christ, to ask, that we 
may have ; and so to seek, that we may find. 

Enter not into judgment with us, Lord, for in thy 
sight we cannot be justified. However unblameable we 
may appear before men, before Him who knows the 
heart we confess and would mourn over innumerable 
sins in the past day, and in every day of our life. 

We acknowledge with shame and sorrow our hypo- 
crisy and pride, our vanity and selfishness, our unbelief 
and impatience, our self-indulgence and self-righteous- 
ness, our obstinacy and self-will, our disregard of thy 
law and thy glory, our living to ourselves and not to 
thee. And, how hard is our heart, that feels so little 
the guilt and the evil of so many and such great sins ! 

Lord of all power and might, soften and break these 
hard hearts. Give us a contrite spirits There is mercy 
with thee. There is forgiveness with thee. may thy 
great mercy be displayed towards us^ in pardoning all 
our sins, and in renewing our souls. Give us penitence, 
faith, and self-denial. Bestow on us the graces of sin- 
cerity, humility, and love. 

May the love of Christ be more known and felt by us, 
and let it constrain us to live not to ourselves, but to 
him that died for us. Grant us thy Holy Spirit, teach- 
ing those things of which we are ignorant, taking of the 
things of Christ to show them unto us, and daily sancti- 
fying our hearts. 

We ask for heavenly wisdom, holy simplicity, ardent 
zeal, and purity of heart. Incline us to study to be 
quiet, and to do our own business, and to work with our 
own hands. Prepare us, day by day, more and more, 
for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Make us meet 
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. 

We commend ourselves to thy care during the night. 
May we lie down at peace with thee, through Christ, 
and in peace with all the world. 

Lord, though we be unworthy, through our mani- 
fold transgressions, to approach thee at all, yet thou hast 
commanded that intercessions be made for all men ; hear 



FOURTH WEEK. 173 

US, therefore, unworthy though we be, in behalf of all 
that need our prayers. May the Lord comfort his peo- 
ple, and have mercy upon his afflicted. Let all nations 
whom thou hast made come and worship before thee, 
and glorify thy name. Let every obstacle which may 
hinder the progress of thy truth, be removed in mercy. 
Bless all the members of the church of Christ, and all 
his ministers, and especially those with w^hom we are 
more intimately connected. 

Give to our parents, our brothers, our sisters, and our 
relatives, all those temporal and spiritual blessings of 
which they stand in need. Bless our superiors, our 
companions, and all about us. Continue the blessing of 
peace to our country. Pardon any who may have in- 
jured us ; and if we have injured any, may we be ready 
to confess our fault, and to make restitution for any 
wrong done, and may they be disposed to forgive us. 

We would not, thou gracious Giver of every good, 
close our evening prayer, without offering up, through 
Christ Jesus, our sincerest thanksgiving for all the mer- 
cies of the past day. For any help vouchsafed in our 
duties ; for any stand which we may have been enabled 
to make against sin, Satan,and the world; for any mea- 
sure of light, knowledge, or grace, given unto us, all 
praise, all glory be to thee. If we are still kept in thy 
way, and yet spared from that ruin which we have de- 
served, while we live, let us praise and bless thee. 

How great is the sum of thy mercies ! When we look 
back on thy past blessings, when we read thy promises 
relating to that which is to come, and when we look 
around us on every side, and especially when we regard 
that cross on which thy Son died for sinners, we would 
say from the heart, Our mouths shall speak the praise of 
the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever. 

Hear us, for the only sake of Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, &c. 



174 FOURTH WEEK. 



THURSDAY MORNING. BieJcersteth. 

Merciful God, give ear unto us, when we cry to thee, 
in the name of Jesus Christ. Our voices shalt thou hear 
in the morning, Lord ; in the morning will we direct 
our prayer unto thee, and will look up. Lord, help us 
to pray. 

Great is the need that we have to seek the Lord while 
he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near. 
We know that in us, that is, in our flesh, there dwelleth 
no good thing. The things of the world, the lust of the 
eye, and the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, are 
continually tempting us, and leading us astray from the^. 
Our afi'ections towards thee, God, are cold and dull. 
Our tempers are often unsanctified. We are prone to de- 
part from thee, and lukewarm and indifi*erent when we 
ought to have a holy zeal. We too much neglect and 
trifle with our own salvation, and the salvation of our 
relatives and friends. We have little of that spiritual 
mind which is life and peace. Our temptations are many, 
we often yield to them ; we have no strength of our own 
to resist them. 

We beseech thee, therefore, our God, to be very 
merciful to us, sinners. Incline and enable us to come 
to Jesus Christ, weary and heavy laden as we are, and 
may we find rest in him. Teach us our own guilt and 
ruin ; and help us to rely on his blood, and build all our 
hopes on his righteousness. God grant that, being graft- 
ed in Christ, we may live to him. Suffer us not to de- 
ceive ourselves by a mere form and profession of reli- 
gion ; but give us true faith, that we may really abide in 
Christ and bear much fruit. Quicken thou our souls. 
Make our hearts pure, humble, and devout ; and our con- 
versation holy and heavenly. Thou art our Rock, and in 
thee do we trust. Thou art our Strength, establish us. 
Help us to live near to thee all the day long ; and do thou 
preserve us from that sin which does so easily beset us. 

Give us grace this day to overcome temptation, and to 



FOURTH WEEK. 175 

mortify all our corrupt affections. Grant unto us the 
abundance of thy Holy Spirit. Lord, we deserve not 
the blessing ; we have forfeited the mercy : but, Thou, 
with whom is the residue of the Spirit, for the glory of 
thy name, and according to thy faithful promise, give us 
thy Spirit, that we may never dishonour thee by incon- 
sistency and unfruitfulness, but abound in every good 
work, and walk worthy of the gospel of Christ. Enable 
us to begin anew this day, in seriousness and entire de- 
dication of heart, to give ourselves to thee. 

Lord, help us this day to live in prayer, to watch 
against the peculiar temptations of our station, to em- 
brace every opportunity of doing good, to redeem the 
time, and to make steady advances in that narrow way 
which leadeth to eternal life. 

And while we pray to thee for those mercies which 
we need, we would from the heart thank thee for all 
those great blessings which we have received, and do 
from day to day enjoy. The benefit of quiet repose, the 
renewal of our strength, the light which we enjoy, and 
the better light of life ; these, and all the mercies which 
surround us on awaking, call for our unfeigned thanks- 
giving, and we do praise and bless thee for them. Blessed 
be thou, for redeeming mercy. Blessed be thou, that 
Jesus died for sinners, even for us. Thanks be unto 
thee, that grace, pardon, peace, strength, the Holy Spirit, 
and eternal life, are given to sinners, through faith in 
Christ. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from 
our sins in his own blood, and hath made us to be kings 
and priests unto God, and his Father, to him be glory 
and dominion for ever and ever. 

Lord God, let the bright glory and happy dominion 
of our Lord Jesus Christ be spread through the world. 
Increase both the number and the zeal of those seeking 
the good of Zion, and the enlargement of thy Son's king- 
dom. Grant thy blessing to every effort to make the 
unsearchable riches of Christ known to the Gentiles. 
Give unto thy people Israel the new heart and the new 
spirit. Bless our favoured country, so that it may be 



176 FOURTH WEEK. 

a highly honoured instrument in diffusing the light of 
truth abroad ; and grant that every exertion for that end 
may be a means of reviving true religion in all our hearts 
at home. Bless all in authority. Let thy priests be 
clothed with righteousness, and thy people sing for joy. 
May peace and mercy be granted to all our relatives, and 
rest on our own souls, and in our own family. May we, 
and all thy people, be united in one heart and mind in 
thy service and love, praying for each other, bearing one 
another's burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ. 
Hear us for his name's sake. 
Our Father, &c. 



THURSDAY EVENING. Bichersteth 

Almighty God, Father of mercies, and God of all 
comfort, according to thy gracious promise, give us thy 
Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, and enable us, in the 
name, and through the mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ, 
our Lord, to call upon thee. 

Great is thy goodness to us sinners, in that we, who 
have grievously offended thee, have such a Mediator, 
who ever liveth to make intercession for us. Without 
a Saviour we can have no hope; for we have sinned 
against thee, and done evil in thy sight day by day. 

We confess and mourn before thee the manifold sins 
of the past day. We daily offend thee by pride, im- 
penitence, hardness of heart, unbelief, and forgetfulness 
of thee, and in many other ways : leaving undone the 
things which we ought to have done, and doing those 
things which we ought not. 

Lord, let thy Holy Spirit convince us of our sinful- 
ness. We pray that we may see more of the extent of 
our iniquities, and feel more of their guilt. Thus may 
we be led to hate sin, and to feel the need and value of 
that Saviour who came to seek and to save that which 
was lost. Grant that we may be partakers of his great 



FOURTH WEEK. 177 

salvation. Whatever else we lose, may we win Christ 
and be found in him. 

Lord, we are unclean ; if thou wilt, thou canst make 
us clean. We believe that thou art able, we believe that 
thou art willing. Lord, help our unbelief; Lord, make 
us clean. 

Give us, we beseech thee, such a sense of thy mercy 
in free forgiveness, through the blood of Christ, that we 
may be constrained to present our bodies a living sacri- 
fice unto thee. Enable us daily to crucify the lusts of 
the flesh. Give us such a measure of thy grace, that all 
the powers of our minds, all the afiections of our hearts, 
and all the talents entrusted to us, may be unreservedly 
engaged for thee. Lord, incline us to spend ourselves 
and be spent for thee ; strengthen our desire to do so, and 
enable us ever hereafter to bring this desire to good efiect. 

Let the number of thy willing and devoted servants be 
every where increased. Be thou exalted, God, above 
the heavens, and thy glory above all the earth. Pour out 
thy Spirit upon all flesh, that all the ends of the earth 
may remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kin- 
dreds of the nations may worship before thee. Let thy 
great name, now so little known, and so much profaned, 
be magnified and sanctified in every country and by 
every tongue. 

Bless the land in which we dwell; its government, 
the ministers of Jesus Christ, and all its people. May 
we be a people fearing God and working righteousness. 
Look with thine especial favour on our relatives and 
friends, our family connexions and acquaintance. May 
they all be partakers of the grace of Christ here, and of 
his glory hereafter. 

We will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall 
continually be in our mouths. Bless the Lord, our 
souls, and forget not all his benefits. How great and 
how numerous they are ! 

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with bene- 
fits. All the temporal mercies granted so abundantly 
to us, our food, our clothing, our home, our friends, the 
8* 



178 FOURTH WEEK. 

daily provisions for our various necessities, these are from 
thee, who openest thy hand and fillest all things living 
with plenteousness. But, above all, blessed be the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed 
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ 
Jesus. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. 

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the 
only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. 

These prayers and praises we offer up in the name of 
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of perishing sinners : 
trusting only in his mediation and merits. 

Our Father, &c. 



FRIDAY MORNING. Bichersteth. 

Almighty and heavenly Father, who art about our 
path, and about our bed, and spiest out all our ways ; we 
come to thee in the name of thy beloved Son, to sup- 
plicate thy mercy as we enter upon the duties of another 
day. 

Thou, Lord, art a shield for us, our glory, and the 
lifter up of our heads. We laid us down, and slept ; w^e 
awaked, for thou, Lord, hast sustained us. For restored 
light, for life, and health, and strength, we praise and 
bless thee. Thou, Lord, only, keepest us in safety, and 
free from evil. Thou providest for all our wants. May 
our souls, and all that is within us, magnify God for all 
his goodness, and especially for his wonderful mercy in 
redeeming sinners by Jesus Christ ; for the light of that 
Sun of Righteousness, which arises with healing in his 
wings on benighted souls ; for all the blessings of free 
salvation through him, all the means of grace, and the 
hope of future glory. 

Sad are the returns which we have made for so many 
mercies. How ungrateful have we been ! We acknow- 
ledge and bewail our manifold sins and rebellions. We 
were born in sin, and we find continually the flesh lust- 
ing against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so 



FOURTH WEEK. 179 

that we cannot do the things that we would. We are 
guilty, sinful, and weak. Lord, save us, or we perish. 
We entirely depend on thy mercy, in Christ Jesus, for 
the gift and continuance of every good, and for deliver- 
ance from all those evils which we have justly deserved. 

For that mercy we now earnestly look to thee, 
Father of mercies. Remember us, Lord, with the 
favour that thou bearest unto thy people. visit us 
with thy salvation; that we may see the good of thy 
chosen, that we may rejoice in the gladness of thy peo- 
ple, that we may glory with thine inheritance. May the 
grace of God which bringeth salvation, teach us, and all 
men, to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live 
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. 
Enable us now, and ever hereafter, to seek the glory of 
thy holy name, by fulfilling every duty of our station 
conscientiously and diligently. 

Give us grace to be continually looking to thee, through 
this day, for direction, assistance, and strength. Be 
thou in all our thoughts, and let us acknowledge thee in 
all our ways. 

Give us the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, that 
we may be humble, patient, gentle, and full of love, even 
as he was. Teach us to be poor in spirit, and meek ; to 
mourn for sin, and to hunger and thirst after righteous- 
ness ; and thus shall we obtain the blessings of the king- 
dom of Christ. Grant that we may love that Saviour 
whom we have not seen, and believing in him may we 
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 

And here, constrained by thy mercies, we would afresh 
present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable 
unto thee, which is our reasonable service. We renew 
in thy presence all our solemn vows, renouncing the 
world, the flesh, and the devil ; and steadfastly purpos- 
ing, by. thy help, to keep thy holy will and command- 
ments, and walk in the same this and every day of our 
lives. We take thee, God, for our portion, and thy 
laws as our rule, and thy service as our duty, entreating 
thee to give us grace that we may be wholly thine. 



180 FOURTH WEEK. 

And that all mankind knew and served thee. Grant 
that the kingdom which is righteousness, and peace, and 
joy in the Holy Ghost, may be established in every land, 
in every heart. Fulfil thy gracious promises. Send thy 
gospel to the Gentiles, and let them be turned from dark- 
ness to light. Let the kingdoms of this world speedily 
become the kingdoms of our God and his Christ, that he 
may reign for ever. 

Grant the abundance of thy Holy Spirit to the minis- 
ters of Christ every where, and especially to him who 
watches over our souls. Bless the place and the neigh- 
bourhood in which we live, and prosper every efibrt to 
do good. 

Lord, we beseech thee also to bless our more imme- 
diate relations. Regard with thy favour our parents, our 
brothers and sisters, our benefactors and friends, our con- 
nexions and acquaintance. Look upon them in mercy, 
and visit them with thy salvation. Hear these prayers, 
for the only sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, &c. I 



FRIDAY EVENING. Bichersteth. 

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and the God of the spirits of all flesh, the earth is thine, 
and the fulness thereof, the round world, and they that 
dwell therein. 

We come, as sinners, but trusting in thy beloved Son, 
our Advocate, and the propitiation for our sins, and look- 
ing for the promised spirit of grace and supplication. 

Lord, we confess before thee our own sins, and those 
of our country. Like thy people of old, while we have 
been greatly distinguished by privileges, we have also 
been a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed 
of evil-doers, children that are corrupters. We have 
forsaken the Lord, and have provoked the Holy One of 
Israel. And chiefly, now, we would confess our cold- 
ness and indifference in extending the blessings of that 



FOURTH WEEK. 181 

glorious Gospel which thou hast entrusted to us. How 
slothful and unconcerned have we been to communicate 
to others the privileges which we enjoy, and to use all 
the means which thou hast given unto us of imparting 
the knowledge of Christ to distant lands ! To us belong 
shame and confusion of face, because we have sinned 
against thee. But to the Lord our God belong mercies 
and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him. 

We beseech thee give us a zeal for thy glory. Foun- 
tain of light, and life, and grace, pour upon us thy quick- 
ening Spirit, to animate and excite us to devote ourselves 
to thee. Raise up, we pray thee, those who shall un- 
ceasingly pray, and give, and think, and labour, for the 
spread of thy truth. Revive the days of the primitive 
church, when thy people, walking in the fear of the Lord, 
and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. 

May the true light come more and more to thy church, 
and the glory of the Lord rise upon her ; and may the 
Gentiles come to this light, and kings to the brightness 
of thy rising. 

Lord, we plead the glory of thy great name, the faith- 
fulness of thy promises, and the happiness of thine own 
creation ; and with these pleas, we ask, that the heathen 
may be given to Christ for his inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for his possession. 

Lord, hast thou not said, "It shall come to pass in 
the last days that I will pour out of my spirit upon all 
flesh ?'! Behold ! in these last days ! give now to us that 
ask. With thee is the residue of the Spirit ; and the 
Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, nor 
his ear heavy that it cannot hear. 

Have respect unto the Covenant, for the dark places 
of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. May 
the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings, 
on those people now sitting in darkness and the shadow 
of death. 

We pray thee to hasten the coming of that time, when 
it shall not be asked, Who hath believed our report ? and 
to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed ? but it shall be 



182 FOURTH WEEK. 

said, The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the sight 
of all nations, and all the ends of the earth have seen 
the salvation of our God. 

And grant, gracious Lord, that while the fulness of 
the Gentiles is come in, all Israel may also be saved. 
May the veil which remains upon their hearts when 
Moses is read, be taken away by their turning to the 
Lord. May this branch, which has so long been broken 
off, at length be grafted into its own Olive-tree. 

let the Deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away 
ungodliness from Jacob. 

And while we thus pray, we thank thee, good and 
gracious Lord, for all the blessed signs of the times in 
which we live. We bless thee for the beginning of a 
general desire to spread thy truth through the world, 
and that societies have been raised in these latter days, 
among all denominations of thy servants, for evangeliz- 
ing the heathen, and for their conversion from dumb 
idols to the Hying God. We thank thee for any success 
given to these eflforts, and would thereby be encouraged 
to persevere in more zealous labours, and more fervent 
prayers. 

*In this great work, Lord, may we, as a family, 
partake. Thou hast cast our lot in a Christian land, and 
surrounded us with Christian enjoyments. In all our 
comforts, may we regard thy hand, and while we enjoy 
so richly the light of thy gospel, may we remember that 
there are millions who are destitute. Thou hast brought 
us in safety, and amid many blessings, through another 
day. Thou hast caused the light of truth, like the light 
of the sun, to shine around us, and our dwelling. Thou 
hast encompassed our path ; and hast given to us mercies 
bestowed on few of the human family. While we taste 
these blessings, and while we render thee praise for them, 
we would also pray, that they may be soon enjoyed by 
all nations. In the midst of a Christian land, and sur- 
rounded with the mercies of religion, liberty, education, 
and peace, we now commit ourselves to thy fatherly pro- 
tection through the dangers of this night. Preserve us, 



FOURTH WEEK. 183 

God, we pray thee, from all harm, and bless those who 
have no home, no pillow, no quiet abode — those that 
wander, without any one to guide them ; those that are 
confined in prison, with no one to comfort them ; those 
that are oppressed and in bondage, with no one to re- 
lieve ; those that are in danger by land or by sea, and no 
one to protect them ; those that are sick, with none to 
minister to them ; and those that are dying, with no one 
to break to them the bread of life. — These blessings, for 
ourselves and our fellow-creatures, we humbly beg, in 
the name of that merciful Redeemer, who, by the grace 
of God, tasted death for every man ; and to whom, with 
thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, both now 
and forever. Amen.^ 



SATURDAY MORNING. Bielcersteth. 

*We appear before thee, Lord, our most merciful 
Father, to give thee thanks for preserving mercy through 
another night. To thy goodness we owe it, that we have 
laid us down and slept, for thou hast sustained us. Our 
voice shalt thou hear in the morning. To thee would 
we come, and to thee would we look, thou preserver 
of men. 

Spared by thy mercy, we enter upon the duties and 
dangers of another day. Our bodies and souls — our 
life, our property, our health, our talents, are all thine. 
Thou hast formed us, and not we ourselves. These 
bodies, fearfully and wonderfully made, are the proofs 
of thy wisdom and power. Thou art the Father of our 
spirits, and the God of our lives. Thou hast redeemed 
us by the blood of Christ, thine only Son. Thou hast 
sent down thy Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify our 
hearts. And to thee, and thy holy service, Lord our 
God, we desire now unfeignedly and entirely to devote 
our lives. Make us useful to our fellow-creatures. Open 
before us paths of benevolence, and dispose us to walk 
therein. May our time, and influence, and property, 



184 FOURTH WEEK. 

and all that we have and are, be consecrated to thy holy 
service. May we not live in vain. When we die, 
whether it be this day, or at a future period, may we 
have the satisfaction of reflecting that we have been en- 
abled by thy grace, to do something for that blessed 
cause, in behalf of which thy Son, though he was rich, 
yet became poor, and who gave himself unto death, that 
he might save a lost world.* 

Holy, holy, holy Lord, we acknowledge it to be owing 
to thy infinite mercy, that we are" not left in the dark- 
ness of heathen lands. Thou didst incline thy servants 
of old to send faithful missionaries to preach thy glori- 
ous gospel ; thou didst support them in all their trials 
and difBculties, and at length this favoured country 
became a Christian land. And, Lord, how hast thou 
since blessed us above other nations, in the enjoyment 
of the light of thy truth, and the power and means to 
communicate it ! We feel that our privileges imply du- 
ties. Give us grace, then, to labour, that the word of the 
Lord may from us sound out in every place. We thank 
thee that thou hast given many the disposition to aid in 
this work, and that numbers of thy servants are united 
in societies, to send abroad the tidings of salvation. 
Lord, bless them all. Greatly increase the number of 
such as have at heart the good of Zion. 

We thank thee, Lord, that thy holy word is trans- 
lating into numerous different languages, and that now 
so many nations may hear in their own tongues the 
wonderful works of God. Give yet greater success to 
these efforts. Facilitate this work by imparting, more 
and more, peculiar talents to those engaged therein. 

Lord, do thou prepare and call forth labourers. Qua- 
lify fit instruments to conduct missionary efibrts, and 
give them faith, wisdom, and judgment, uprightness, pa- 
tience, and self-denial, a single eye, and a single heart, 
in all their proceedings. So incline their minds, that 
they may send none to labour among the heathen but 
those that are first chosen of thee : men anointed with the 
Holy Ghost. Do thou raise up meek, humble, patient, 



FOURTH WEEK. 185 

believing, laborious, and persevering men, counting their 
word their wages, and looking for the recompense of re- 
ward hereafter : men suited to the exigencies of the 
heathen, in their various degrees of civilization and know- 
ledge, and adapted to meet their wants in each particular 
situation ; men willing to spend themselves, and be spent 
for Christ. Lord, send forth, we beseech thee, send 
forth such labourers. 

Regard, we beseech thee, Lord, with thy infinite 
love, those who have gone forth in thy name to heathen 
lands, to labour in making Christ known to the Gentiles. 
Help them to be followers of thy Apostles. Grant that 
they may never lose that first love and ardour of mind 
which induced them, for Christ's sake, to leave country, 
home, friends, and relatives. Preserve them sound in 
doctrine, and pure in their life and conversation. In the 
faith of Christ may they vanquish the world, the flesh, 
and the devil, and overcome apparently insurmountable 
difficulties. Give unto them utterance, that they may 
open their mouth boldly, to make known the mystery 
of the gospel. Give them grace to hope even against 
hope ; and in thy own good time remove every opposing 
obstacle to the universal difi'usion of thy truth. Let the 
course of thy providence prepare the way for thy ser- 
vants. Let every fresh advance, either in commerce, 
science, or arts, aid the coming on of the Redeemer's 
kingdom ; all things work together for good, till all shall 
know thee, the only true God, from the least to the 
greatest. 

And for this we entreat the full out-pouring of thy 
Holy Spirit upon all flesh ; upon kings of the earth and 
all people ; upon all Christian ministers ; upon princes, 
senators, and magistrates ; young men and maidens, old 
men and children. Let them praise the name of the 
Lord, for his name alone is excellent, his glory is above 
the earth and heaven. 

Lord, it is not our glory we seek, but thine. We 
long, we ask, we pray, that thy will may be done on 
earth as it is in heaven ; that all nations whom thou hast 



186 FOURTH WEEK. 

made may come and worship before thee, and glorify thy 
name. Lord, thou knowest our desires: we know not 
how to express them as we should. Do for us and thy 
church exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or 
think, for thy great name's sake. 

These prayers we offer up in the name of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, &c. 



SATURDAY EVENING. Bichersteth. 

God, thou art the God of all the families of the earth ; 
for they are formed by thy will, and supported by thy 
providence. But thou art, in a peculiar manner, the God 
of those families, in which thy name is known, and loved, 
and honoured. Thou blessest the habitation of the just. 
Whatever be the disposition of others, we desire to say, 
As for us, and our house, we will serve the Lord. Thy 
yoke is easy, thy burden is light ; thy work is honour- 
able and glorious ; and in keeping thy commandments, 
there is great reward. Thou art the best of all masters ; 
thou hast promised to bear with our infirmities, and to 
suffer us to want no good thing. 

Already thou hast laid us under infinite obligations, 
as the God of providence and of grace ; thou hast dealt 
well with thy servants, Lord. Bless the Lord, our 
souls, and all that is within us, bless his holy name. Bless 
the Lord, our souls, and forget not all his benefits. 

By thy good hand upon us, we have been conducted 
through the perils, not only of another day, but another 
week ; a period, during which many have been carried 
down to their graves, and we have been brought so much 
nearer to our own. Impress us with the lapse of our 
time, and so teach us to number our days, that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Many have been in- 
volved in perplexities, and exposed to want ; many have 
been confined to the house of mourning, or the bed of 
sickness ; but we have been indulged with liberty, and 



FOURTH WEEK. 187 

ease, and health, and strength ; we have seen thy loving- 
kindness every morning, and thy faithfulness every 
night; and have had all things richly to enjoy. 

But, how little have we been affected by the in- 
stances of thy undeserved goodness ; how imperfectly 
have we improved our religious privileges ; how negli- 
gent have we been in seizing opportunities of doing 
good to the bodies and souls of our fellow-creatures — 
and how well does it become each of us to exclaim. Be- 
hold, I am vile ; what shall I answer thee ? wherefore I 
abhor myself, repenting in dust and ashes. 

We appear before thee, this evening, in our trespass ; 
enter not into judgment with thy servants, Lord. Our 
only hope is, that to the Lord our God belong mercies 
and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him. 
Have mercy upon us, God, according to thy loving- 
kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender mer- 
cies, blot out our transgressions. 

And may a confidence in thy goodness, instead of en- 
couraging us to sin, that grace may abound, inspire us 
with that godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto 
life. May we hate and forsake every false way. May 
we be attentive to our condition, and study our charac- 
ter ; may we bridle our tongue, and keep our heart with 
all diligence. 

May we often look back and see, how at any time we 
have been ensnared or overcome ; and watch and pray 
in future, lest we enter into temptation. And do thou 
keep us by thy power ; uphold us by thy free Spirit ; 
and not only restrain us from sin, but mortify us to it. 

May sleep refresh our bodies, and fit them for thy 
service on the ensuing day ; and may thy grace prepare 
our minds. May we leave all the cares of the world for 
awhile, behind ; that we may attend on the Lord without 
distraction. May we repair to the hallowed exercises 
of devotion, as the hart panteth after the water brooks. 
May we call the Sabbath a delight, and be glad when 
they say to us. Let us go into the house of the Lord. 

And, thou God of all grace, do as thou hast said ; 



188 FIFTH WEEK. 

fulfil thy word unto thy servants, upon which thou hast 
caused them to hope. Bless abundantly the provisions 
of thy house, and satisfy thy poor with bread. Clothe 
thy priests with salvation, and let thy saints shout aloud 
for joy. 

And to the God of all grace, the Father, the Word, 
and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, both now 
and for ever. Amen. 



FXFTK WEEK 



SABBATH MORNING. CotteriU. 

Thou, Lord of the Sabbath, who hast set apart this 
day for thyself, and hast commanded us to keep it holy 
to thy name, look down upon a family of sinful creatures 
who are assembled together to acknowledge thy good- 
ness in bringing us to see it. 

We adore thee for thy patience and forbearance in not 
dealing with us according to our deserts, nor rewarding 
us according to our iniquities. And we beseech thee to 
pour down upon us the abundance of thy grace, that we 
may rest this day according to thy commandment. Let 
not thy sabbath be a weariness to us, but our delight. 
Let us honour thee, by not doing our own ways, nor find- 
ing our own pleasure, nor speaking our own words. 

Bless us, Lord, with all spiritual blessings in Christ 
Jesus : bless us, we pray thee, in turning away every one 
of us from our iniquities. Wash us in the fountain of 
that blood which cleanseth from all sin. Clothe us with 
the robe of that righteousness, which is, by faith of Jesus 
Christ, ujito all and upon all them that believe. 

Prepare us for the various duties which are now be- 
fore us. 

Sanctify unto us thy appointed means of grace. Send 



FIFTH WEEK. 189 

out thy light and thy truth ; let them lead us ; let them 
bring us to thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacle. May we 
go with the multitude to thy house of prayer, with the 
voice of joy and praise, with the multitude that keep 
holy-day. There may we give thee the glory which is 
due unto thy name, and worship thee in the beauty of 
holiness. May we see thy power and thy glory, so as 
thy servants see them in the sanctuary ; and be satisfied 
with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. 

Grant, Lord, that the Scriptures, which thou hast 
caused to be written for our learning, may be applied to 
our hearts in the demonstration of the Spirit, and of 
power. May we in such wise hear them, read, mark, 
learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace, 
and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, 
through a crucified Redeemer. 

Hear our prayers, God, for all Christian ministers ; 
[especially for him whom thou hast appointed over us ;] 
and endue them with the grace of thy Holy Spirit. Give 
unto them the spirit of love, and of power, and of a sound 
mind. Make them able ministers of the New Testa- 
ment, faithful stewards of thy mysteries. Help them to 
take heed to themselves and to the doctrine ; that so, 
according to thy promise, they may both save themselves 
and those who hear them. 

We beseech thee to inspire continually the Universal 
Church with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord ; and 
grant that all they who do confess thy name, may agree 
in the truth of thy holy word, and live in unity and godly 
love. May numbers be added to it, every Sabbath day, 
of such as shall be saved. 

Look in mercy upon such as have hitherto neglected 
thy Sabbaths. Teach them to improve those that re- 
main ; and so to redeem the time which they have lost, 
that they may be numbered among thy true people. 

Remember for good as many as, through sickness, or 
any other impediment, may be prevented from attending 
the ordinances of thy house, and the habitation which 
their soul loveth. Let thy presence be with them in 



190 FIFTH WEEK. 

their private meditations, even as with those who shall as- 
semble together in the place where thy honour dwelleth. 

We pray thee, also, to have compassion upon those 
who as yet belong not to thy visible Church. 

Thou who art a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the 
glory of thy people Israel, shine upon the nations which 
are sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death. 

Give, Lord, the word, that great may be the com- 
pany of the preachers, who shall go forth into all the 
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Let 
nation after nation be converted to the Christian faith, 
till the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms 
of our Lord and of his Christ, and the earth be filled 
with the knowledge of thy glory, as the waters cover 
the sea. 

Hear, we beseech thee, heavenly Father, these our 
imperfect petitions ; and answer them in the multitude of 
thy tender mercies, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only 
Lord and Saviour ; to whom, with thee and the Holy 
Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. 

Our Father, &c. 



SABBATH EVENING. Cotterill 

God, whose nature and property is ever to have 
mercy, and to forgive, receive our humble petitions ; and 
though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, 
yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us, for the 
honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. 

Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ ; Lord 
God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away 
the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that 
takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. 
Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our 
prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the 
Father, have mercy upon us. For thou only art holy: 
thou only art the Lord : thou only, Christ, with the 



FIFTH WEEK. 191 

Holy Ghost, art most high in the giory of God the 
Father. 

And as we beseech thee, Lord, to forgive us all our 
sins, negligences, and ignorances, (particularly those of 
the past day,) so may it please thee to give us true re- 
pentance ; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy 
Spirit, to amend our lives according to thy holy word. 

Thou, from whom all good things do come, grant to 
us, thy humble servants, that, by thy holy inspiration, 
we may think those things that be good, and by thy 
merciful guiding, may perform the same. 

Accept, we beseech thee, Lord, our hearty thanks 
for the means of grace which have been vouchsafed us 
this day; and for every blessing which thou hast be- 
stowed upon us. 

To thee be ascribed all the good which we have received 
ourselves, and all which has been wrought in others. 

We bless thee in behalf of those who may have been 
turned from their evil ways, or who have been comforted, 
instructed, and in any way edified, in thy house of 
prayer. 

For these, and all thy other mercies, our souls do 
magnify thy glorious name, which is exalted above all 
blessing and praise. 

We further beseech thee, Father Almighty, to open 
the ears of thy compassion to our supplications for others. 

Mercifully look upon the Universal Church which thou 
hast purchased to thyself with the precious blood of thy 
dear Son. 

And to those that shall be ordained to any holy func- 
tion, give thy grace and heavenly benediction; that, 
both by their life and doctrine, they may set forth thy 
glory, and set forward the salvation of all men. 

Bless the words which have been spoken in thy name 
this day ; and let them not prove to any the savour of 
death unto death, but of life unto life, to all who have 
heard them. 

Be gracious unto thy servants who have met together 
with us in thy courts : and grant that as many as are 



192 FIFTH WEEK. 

planted into this house of the Lord, may flourish in the 
courts of the house of our God. 

Have mercy on those by whom the day of rest has 
been disregarded. Father, forgive them, for they know 
not what they do. 

Be favourable, also, unto those who have been kept by 
sickness, or any other necessity, from joining the public 
assemblies of thy Church. Do thou. Almighty Lord, 
who art a most strong tower unto them that put their 
trust in thee, to whom all things in heaven, and in earth, 
and under the earth, do bow and obey ; be now and ever- 
more their defence, and make them to know and to feel 
that there is none other name under heaven given to man, 
in whom and through whom, they may receive health and 
salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We give thee hearty thanks, likewise, for such of them 
as it may have pleased thee this day to deliver out of the 
miseries of this sinful world ; beseeching thee, that it may 
also please thee, of thy gracious goodness, shortly to ac- 
complish the number of thy elect, and to hasten thy king- 
dom ; that we, with all those that are departed in the true 
faith of thy holy name, may have our perfect consumma- 
tion and bliss, both in body and soul, in thy eternal and 
everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; in 
whose name we offer up these our prayers ; and con- 
clude them in the words which he himself has taught us 
to use. 

Our Father, &c. 



MONDAY MORNING. H. More. 

Almighty and most merciful Father ! thou art a God 
that hearest prayer ; and we are encouraged to draw nigh 
unto thy throne of grace, most humbly beseeching thee 
to look upon us, according to thy tender mercy in Jesus 
Christ. We confess our daily offences against thee in 
thought, word, and deed. If thou shouldst be extreme 
to mark what is done amiss, Lord, who might abide 



FIFTH WEEK. 193 

it ! Deal not with us after our sins, neither reward us 
after our iniquities. We bless thee for that all-prevail- 
ing Advocate, Jesus Christ, the righteous : by his cross 
and intercession, good Lord, deliver us. 

We are now about to enter upon the worldly employ- 
ments of another week : strengthen us with thy grace, 
that these may not withdraw our hearts from thee, nor 
make us negligent of our souls, and our salvation. May 
the influences of the Sabbath rest upon us through the 
week, and may the solemn and blessed truths which we 
heard yesterday, in the house of prayer, abide in our 
memories, and direct our conduct ! 

With many thanks for thy mercies during the past 
night, we now cast ourselves upon thy protection, not 
knowing what this day may bring forth ; but trusting in 
that wisdom which cannot err, and in that love which 
cannot fail ; do thou appoint our lot as seemeth good to 
both. Father, not our will, but thine be done ! Pre- 
serve us from temptation ; preserve us from sin ; pre- 
serve us from our own evil hearts ; and if we are per- 
mitted to see the close of this day, let us look back upon 
it as one in which we have walked with God. 

Preserve us from the power of evil ; from the sin that 
doth so easily beset us ; from the lusts of the flesh, and 
the vanities of a wicked world. 

Send thy good Spirit to direct and guide us in the 
ways and works of godliness ; purify our afi*ections ; 
enliven our devotion ; teach us how to pray, and how to 
hear, and read, and profit by thy holy word. Make us 
Christians, not only in name, but also in heart and in 
hope. Teach us the value of our souls, and the salva- 
tion which has been wrought for them by Christ Jesus. 
May we never be ashamed of confessing him before 
men, but, amidst all discouragements and difiiculties, 
give us boldness to show ourselves his true disciples. 

Let our conversation be such as becometh his gospel ; 

and whatsoever we do in word or in deed, let us do all in 

his name, giving thanks to God and the Father through 

him. And let the words of our mouths, and the medita- 

9 



194 FIFTH WEEK. 

tions of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, Lord, 
our strength, and our Redeemer. 
Our Father, &c. 



MONDAY EVENING. H. More. 

Lord God Almighty, we bless thee for all the mer- 
cies of the past day, and we pray thee now to take us 
under thy care, and to deliver us from all the perils 
and dangers of this night. Preserve us, Lord, both 
in body and soul, from every evil, and keep us from all 
sinful thoughts when we are about to close our eyes in 
sleep. 

And pardon, we beseech thee, all our offences, for 
the sake of Jesus Christ. We confess, Lord, that we 
have this day left undone many things which we ought 
to have done, and done many things which we ought 
not to have done. Pardon all our pride and vanity, our 
idleness and self-indulgence, our impatience, fretfulness, 
and discontent. Pardon, Lord, all the rash and 
angry words which we have this day spoken, and all 
the sinful thoughts which have arisen up in our minds, 
and which we have not been careful to resist. And 
especially, we pray thee, to pardon our forgetfulness of 
thee, our God, and our want of gratitude and love to 
Jesus Christ. For these, and all our other sins, which, 
from time to time, we have committed, we here implore 
thy pardon and forgiveness, in the name of our most 
merciful Saviour. 

And since we know that our life is so short and uncer- 
tain, help us, day by day, to think of our latter end. 
Lord, grant us grace so to live that we be not afraid to 
die ; and do thou receive our souls at last into thine eter- 
nal kingdom. 

Enable us this night to shake off all worldly cares and 
desires, and to meditate upon thee ; let thy Holy Spirit 
be present with us, to purify our hearts, and to bring 



FIFTH WEEK. 195 

before us the things which concern our peace, and to 
inspire us with godly resolutions. 

Above all things, make us rightly to understand thine 
infinite mercy in the redemption of mankind by Jesus 
Christ, and diligently to avail ourselves of all our privi- 
leges, as his disciples, and thy children by adoption and 
grace, 

heavenly Father, we commit ourselves to thy holy 
keeping this night, and desire to rest securely under 
the shadow of thy protection. Defend us from all perils 
and dangers, and especially from those which may as- 
sault and hurt the soul. Prepare us, by comfortable 
repose, for the duties of the morrow ; and grant that we 
may rise disposed and strengthened for thy service, as 
faithful and diligent disciples of thy blessed Son; in 
whose words we further pray : 

Our Father, &c. 



TUESDAY MORNING. Com. Prayer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done on earth, 
as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread ; and 
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres- 
pass against us ; and lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, for ever and ever. 

Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live, and 
move, and have our being; we, thy needy creatures, 
render thee our humble praises for thy preservation of us 
from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially 
for having delivered us from the dangers of the past 
night. To thy watchful providence we owe it, that no 
disturbance hath come nigh us or our dwelling, but that 
we are brought in safety to the beginning of this day. 
For these thy mercies, we bless and magnify thy glorious 
name ; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morn- 



196 FIFTH WEEK. 

ing sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for his sake 
who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, thy 
Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

And since it is of thy mercy, gracious Father, that 
another day is added to our lives, we here dedicate both 
our souls and our bodies to thee and thy service, in a 
sober, righteous, and godly life ; in which resolution, do 
thou, merciful God, confirm and strengthen us ; that, 
as we grow in age, we may grow in grace, and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

But God, who knowest the weakness and corrup- 
tion of our nature, and the manifold temptations which 
we daily meet with ; we humbly beseech thee to have 
compassion on our infirmities, and to give us the constant 
assistance of thy Holy Spirit ; that we may be efi'ectually 
restrained from sin, and excited to our duty. Imprint 
upon our hearts such a dread of thy judgments, and such 
a grateful sense of thy goodness to us, as may make us 
both afraid and ashamed to oifend thee. And, above all, 
keep in our minds a lively remembrance of that great day, 
in which we must give a strict account of our thoughts, 
words, and actions ; and, according to the works done in 
the body, be eternally rewarded or punished, by him 
whom thou hast appointed the judge of quick and dead, 
thy. Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. 

In particular, we implore thy grace and protection for 
the ensuing day. Keep us temperate in our meats and 
drinks, and diligent in our several callings. . Grant us 
patience under any afilictions thou shalt see fit to lay on 
us, and minds always contented with our present condi- 
tion. Give us grace to be just and upright in all our 
dealings ; quiet and peaceable ; full of compassion ; and 
ready to do good to all men according to our abilities and 
opportunities. Direct us in all our ways, and prosper the 
works of our hands in the business of our several stations. 
Defend us from all dangers and adversities ; and be gra- 
ciously pleased to take us, and all things belonging to us, 
under thy fatherly care and protection. These things, 
and whatever else thou shalt see necessary and convenient 



FIFTH WEEK. 197 

to US, we humbly beg, through the merits and mediation 
of thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of 
God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us 
a-U evermore. Amen. 



TUESDAY EVENING. Com. Prayer. 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done on earth, 
as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread ; and 
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who tres- 
pass against us ; and lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, for ever and ever. 

Most merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to be- 
hold iniquity, and hast promised forgiveness to all those 
who confess and forsake their sins ; we come before thee 
in an humble sense of our own unworthiness, acknow- 
ledging our manifold transgressions of thy righteous 
laws. But, gracious Father, who desirest not the 
death of a sinner, look upon us, we beseech thee, in 
mercy, and forgive us all our transgressions. Make us 
deeply sensible of the great evil of them ; and work in 
us an hearty contrition ; that we may obtain forgiveness 
at thy hands, who art ever ready to receive humble and 
penitent sinners ; for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, 
our only Saviour and Redeemer. 

And lest, through our own frailty, or the temptations 
which encompass us, we be drawn again into sin, vouch- 
safe us, we beseech thee, the direction and assistance 
of thy Holy Spirit. Reform whatever is amiss in the 
temper and disposition of our souls ; that no unclean 
thoughts, unlawful designs, or inordinate desires, may 
rest there. Purge our hearts from envy, hatred, and 
malice ; that we may never suffer the sun to go down 
upon our wrath ; but may always go to our rest in peace, 
charity, and good-will, with a conscience void of offence 



198 FIFTH WEEK. 

towards thee and towards men ; that so we may be pre- 
served, pure and blameless, until the coming of our Lord 
and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

And accept, Lord, our intercessions for all man- 
kind. Let the light of thy gospel shine upon all nations ; 
and may as many as have received it, live as becomes 
it. Be gracious unto thy church ; and grant that every 
member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may 
serve thee faithfully. Bless all in authority over us ; 
and so rule their hearts, and strengthen their hands, 
that they may punish wickedness and vice, and main- 
tain thy true religion and virtue. Send down thy 
blessings, temporal and spiritual, upon all our relations, 
friends, and neighbours. Reward all who have done us 
good, and pardon all those who have done or wish us 
evil, and give them repentance and better minds. Be 
merciful to all who are in any trouble ; and do thou, 
the God of pity, administer to them according to their 
several necessities, for his sake who went about doing 
good, thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

To our prayers, Lord, we join our unfeigned thanks 
for all thy mercies ; for our being, our reason, and all 
other endowments and faculties of soul and body ; for 
our health, friends, food and raiment, and all the other 
comforts and conveniences of life. Above all, we adore 
thy mercy in sending thy only Son into the world to 
redeem us from sin and eternal death, and in giving us 
the knowledge and sense of our duty towards thee. We 
bless thee for thy patience with us, notwithstanding our 
many and great provocations ; for all the directions, as- 
sistances, and comforts of thy Holy Spirit ; for thy con- 
tinual care and watchful providence over us through 
the whole course of our lives ; and particularly for the 
mercies and beneJBts of the past day ; beseeching thee 
to continue these thy blessings to us ; and give to us 
grace to show our thankfulness in a sincere obedience 
to his laws, through whose merits and intercession we 
received them all, thy Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

In particular, we beseech thee to continue thy gracious 



FIFTH WEEK. 199 

protection to us this night. Defend us from all dangers 
and mischiefs, and from the fear of them ; that we may 
enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties 
of the following day. Make us ever mindful of the time 
when we shall lie down in the dust ; and grant us grace 
always to live in such a state, that we may never be afraid 
to die : so that living and dying we may be thine, through 
the merits and satisfaction of thy Son, Christ Jesus, in 
whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of 
God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us 
all evermore. Amen. 



WEDNESDAY MORNING. CotteriU. 

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred 
and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have 
followed too much the devices and desires of our own 
hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We 
have left undone those things which we ought to have 
done ; and we have done those things which we ought 
not to have done ; and there is no health in us. But thou, 
Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare 
thou them, God, which confess their faults. Restore 
thou them that are penitent ; according to thy promises 
declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

And grant, most merciful Father, for his sake, that 
we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, 
to the glory of thy holy name. 

Help us, especially, so to live through the day upon 
which we have entered. 

Bless us in all our ways ; and, whatever we do, may we 
do it heartily as unto thee, with a single eye to thy glory, 
and a humble dependence on thy fatherly protection. 

Enlighten our understanding ; control our wills ; and 
sanctify our affections. Preserve us, that neither the 
pleasures, nor the cares, nor the honours of this life, turn 
away our thoughts from the life which is to come. May 



200 FIFTH WEEK. 

we learn and labour daily to live above the world ; and 
to follow all our occupations in it with a heavenly mind. 

Enable us faithfully to discharge our several duties to 
thee and to our fellow-creatures ; that we may be useful 
in our generation among men, and steadfast in our co- 
venant with thee. Having had much forgiven of thee, 
may we love thee much, and strive to please thee in all 
our ways. 

And grant that nothing may ever separate between us 
and thee, by causing us to grow weary of thy service. 
But may we keep thy covenant for ever ; and think upon 
thy commandments to do them, finding thy yoke easy, 
and thy burden light ; yea, accounting thy service per- 
fect freedom, and the very joy of our heart. 

Lord, we pray thee that thy grace may always attend 
us, and make us continually to be given to all good works. 

We desire to ofier up our unfeigned thanksgivings for 
the good which thou mayest already have wrought in us, 
and for every mercy which thou hast vouchsafed to our 
bodies and our souls. Day by day we give thanks unto 
thee, and praise thy name. 

Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good 
will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we 
worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks unto thee, 
for thy great glory, Lord God, heavenly king, God 
the Father Almighty. 

We beseech thee, Lord, to embrace with the arms 
of thy mercy, not only ourselves, but all who partake of 
our fallen nature. Pity and convert the wicked. May 
they no longer make a mock at sin, but learn to tremble at 
that wrath which thou hast revealed against all ungodli- 
ness and unrighteousness of men, fearing thee who art able 
to destroy both body and soul in hell. Give them grace 
to stand in awe of thy judgments, and to sin no more. 

Bless thy faithful people with knowledge and good 
understanding in the ways of godliness : and let not the 
children of this world be wiser in their generation than 
the children of light. 

And since many are the afflictions of the righteous, 



FIFTH WEEK. 201 

Lord, remember them, and all their troubles : yea, may 
they be had before thee in everlasting remembrance. 
Though troubled on every side, let them not be dis- 
tressed ; though perplexed, let them not be in despair ; 
though persecuted, let them not be forsaken; though 
cast down, let them not be destroyed. In all their af- 
flictions be thou afilicted ; and let the angel of thy pre- 
sence save them. In thy love, and in thy pity, do thou 
redeem them ; and bear them, and carry them, as in the 
days of old. 

Grant that every afiliction, though not for the present 
joyous, but grievous, may yield the peaceable fruits of 
righteousness to such as are exercised thereby. 

And do thou bring them, at the last, to that place of 
rest and peace, where thou wilt wipe away all tears from 
their faces ; where there shall be no more sorrow, nor 
crying; neither shall there be any more pain; and the 
former things shall pass away. 

Assist us mercifully, Lord, in these our supplications 
and prayers ; and dispose the way of thy servants to- 
wards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that, 
among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, 
we may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready 
help, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Our Father, &c. 



WEDNESDAY EVENING. Ootterill 

Lord, thou hast been our refuge from one genera- 
tion to another. Before the mountains were brought 
forth, or ever the earth and the worlds were made, thou 
art God from everlasting, and world without end. 

Upon thy mercy-seat in the heavens thou waitest to 
be gracious; and we, thy sinful creatures, draw nigh 
unto thee, as unto a God in Christ, reconciling the world 
unto thyself, not impfiting their trespasses unto them. 

We trust, Lord, to the word of thy promise, that 
though we have sinned, we have an Advocate with thee, 
9* 



202 FIFTH WEEK. 

Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for 
our sins ; and not for ours only, but for the sins of the 
whole world. 

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 
and the truth is not in us ; but if we confess our sins, 
thou art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to 
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

We pray thee, therefore, to create and make in us 
new and contrite hearts ; that we, worthily lamenting 
our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may ob- 
tain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and 
forgiveness. Regard us no longer as children of wrath, 
but as dear children; heirs of the kingdom of heaven, 
and joitit-heirs with Christ. Satisfy us with thy mercy, 
and that soon, that we may rejoice and be glad in thee 
all our days. 

Grant us, according to the riches of thy glory, to be 
strengthened with might, by thy Spirit, in the inner 
man. Let Christ dwell in our hearts by faith, that being 
rooted and grounded in love we may be able to compre- 
hend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, 
and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, 
which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all 
the fullness of thee our God. 

Thou hast brought and defended us, heavenly 
Father, through the dangers of another day; and hast 
blessed us with every needful blessing, in our going out 
and coming in. 

But, we beseech thee, God of the spirits of all flesh, 
in whom alone we live, and move, and have our being, 
to touch our hearts with the solemn and affecting truth, 
that we know not what shall be on the morrow. Keep 
us constantly mindful, that in the midst of life we are 
in death. Of whom may we seek for succour but of 
thee, Lord, who, for our sins, art justly displeased ? 
Yet, Lord God, most holy, Lord, most mighty, 
holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy judge eter- 
nal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death 
to fall from thee. 



FIFTH WEEK. 203 

Give ear, Lord, to our prayers for our fellow-crea- 
tures. 

Put the ungodly in fear, that they may know them- 
selves to be but men. Incline them seriously to think 
on their ways, and turn their feet unto thy testimonies. 

Let all those who trust in thee rejoice ; because their 
redemption draweth nigh ; and their salvation is nearer 
than when they first believed. 

Be gracious unto such as, in this transitory world, are 
suffering, either for their sins or for righteousness sake ; 
and sanctify their sufferings to the good of their souls. 

Lastly, we pray thee. Almighty God, with whom do 
live the spirits of just men made perfect, after they are 
delivered from their earthly prisons, to look with com- 
passion on all whom the sorrows of death are encompass- 
ing about. We commend their souls into thy hands, as 
into the hands of a faithful Creator and most merciful 
Saviour ; humbly beseeching thee, that they may be pre- 
cious in thy sight. Wash them in the blood of that 
spotless Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of 
the world, that they may be presented pure, and without 
spot before thee. 

And teach us who survive, in every daily spectacle of 
mortality to remember how frail and uncertain our own 
condition is ; and so to number our days that we may 
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Grant that neither the 
splendour of any thing that is great, nor the conceit of 
any thing that is good in us, may withdraw our eyes 
from looking upon ourselves as sinful dust and ashes : 
but that we may press forward to the prize of the high 
calling that is before us, in faith and patience, humility 
and meekness, mortification and self-denial, charity and 
constant perseverance unto the end ; and all this for thy 
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake : to whom, with thee 
and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world 
Avithout end. 

Our Father, &c. 



204 FIFTH WEEK. 



THURSDAY MORNING. Cotterill 

Almighty God, whose eyes run to and fro throughout 
all the earth, we adore and magnify thee, as the author 
of all our blessings, and the source of all our happi- 
ness. 

Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, 
and Cometh down from thee, the Father of lights, with 
whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

Thou preservest to us our life and health, our food and 
raiment, our friends and benefactors, our private and 
public blessings, the means of grace, and the hope of 
glory. Thou art worthy of our highest adoration, our 
liveliest gratitude, and our most unfeigned praise. 

But wherewithal shall we come before thee ? And how 
shall we give unto thee the honour due unto thy name ? 
All that we have is unworthy of thy regard ; and our 
best returns serve only to remind us, how gracious thou 
art in receiving them. Not for our sakes, Lord, not 
for our sakes, dost thou continue to bless us from day to 
day, and permit us to come into thy presence ; but be- 
cause thou delightest in mercy ; because thy goodness is 
from everlasting to everlasting ; and because, above all, 
thou hast respect unto the sacrifice of thy beloved Son, 
who gave himself a ransom for our souls. 

For his sake, Lord, continue to us all our blessings ; 
and be gracious unto us, even as thou art wont. Grant 
that the number of thy mercies, in Christ Jesus, may 
ever triumph over the multitude of our sins ; and that 
our supplications and praises, stained as they are with 
imperfection and defilement, may, through his most pre- 
cious blood-shedding, daily enter with acceptance into 
thy ears, Lord of hosts. 

In his all-prevailing name we beseech thee to look down 
upon us in compassion this morning. Let thy thoughts 
towards us be thoughts of peace, and not of evil. 

As thou hast kept us from the terror by night, and 
from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, so may it 



FIFTH WEEK. 205 

please thee to save us from the arrow that flieth by day, 
and from the destruction that wasteth at noon. 

merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a 
contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful, 
mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee, 
in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they op- 
press us ; and graciously hear us, that those evils which 
the craft and subtlety of the devil or man worketh against 
us, be brought to nought, and by the providence of thy 
goodness they may be dispersed, that we, thy servants, 
being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks 
unto thee, and praise thy holy name. 

Enable us to pass this day, and all our days, in thy 
faith and fear. 

Preserve us, that our minds be not overcharged with 
the cares of this life. 

Make us humble in prosperity, and patient and thank- 
ful in the time of adversity. 

Suffer us not to be occupied in ungodly works with 
the men that work wickedness. Let us not do the things 
that please them, and so become partakers of their sins. 
But give us grace to set our face as a rock against sin, 
and vanity, and every appearance of evil ; and let not 
our hearts be inclined to any evil thing, but only to that 
which pleaseth thee. 

Thou hast showed us, Lord, what is good, and what 
thou requirest of us. Help us to obey thy command- 
ment, to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly 
with thee, our God. And, having received how we 
ought to walk and please thee, may we abound more 
and more. Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, continually to 
direct, sanctify, and govern, both our hearts and bodies 
in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of thy com- 
mandments ; that through thy most mighty protection, 
both here and ever, we may be preserved in body and 
soul. 

thou God of kingdoms, and Lord of heaven and 
earth, give thy blessing to all nations ; especially to 
that in which thou hast cast our lot. 



206 FIFTH WEEK. 

We are, indeed, a sinful people, laden with iniquity ; 
and it is entirely of thy mercies that we have not been 
consumed. But continue, we pray thee, to spare and 
bless us ; and grant that all thy goodness towards us 
may lead us to repentance. Be thou our Grod, and may 
we be thy people ; that all the world may know that 
thou art our Defender and Almighty Deliverer. 

Bless the neighbourhood in which we dwell, and the 
families with whom we are more immediately connected. 
May they be taught of thee to be kindly aflfectioned one 
toward another ; and to dwell together in peace and love, 
and do thou, the God of peace and love, be with them 
now and evermore. 

We further pray thee to shed thy favour and blessing 
upon this family. Increase our love to thee, and to 
each other ; and make it our delight thus to meet before 
thy throne, to offer up our prayers and praises, through 
Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. 

Our Father, &c. 



THURSDAY EVENING. Cotterill. 

Almighty and everlasting Lord God, the Creator of 
the ends of the earth, that faintest not, neither art weary, 
whose mercy endureth forever, who is a God like unto 
thee, that pardonest iniquity, that passest by the trans- 
gression of thy heritage ; and retainest not thy anger 
forever, because thou delightest in mercy ? 

When we call to remembrance the days that are gone, 
from our youth up even until now, and consider how 
many of them have been spent in forgetfulness of thee, 
innumerable sorrows might well encompass us ; and our 
sins take such hold upon us, that we should not be able 
to look up. Seeing they are more in number than the 
hairs of our head, our hearts might well fail because of 
them, did we not know that thy compassions fail not. 

We have abundant cause, Lord, to remember and 
to be confounded, and never to open our mouth any 



FIFTH WEEK. 207 

more because of our shame, even though thou shouldst 
be pacified towards us for all that we have done. 

We therefore bless thee for Jesus, the Mediator of the 
new covenant ; through whom we hope to be justified 
from all things, from which we could not be justified by 
any righteousness of our own. 

We adore and magnify thy name, Father of mercies, 
and God of all consolation, for having called us with a 
holy calling, not according to our works, but according 
to thy own purpose and grace, given us in Christ Jesus 
before the world began ; whom having not seen, we love, 
and in whom, though we see him not, yet believing, we 
may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. 

for a song of praise ! for a psalm of everlasting 
thanksgiving unto thee, the God of our salvation ! 
Lamb of God, worthy art thou that wast slain ; for thou 
hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood ! Worthy art 
thou that wast slain, to receive power, and riches, and 
wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and 
blessing ! 

Teach us, Lord, to live, day by day, in humble de- 
pendence on thy promises, in cheerful obedience to thy 
laws, and in a sure and certain hope of a blessed im- 
mortality. 

Keep us, we beseech thee, with thy perpetual mercy ; 
and because the frailty of man, without thee, cannot but 
fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, 
and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation. 

From all our enemies, temporal and spiritual, defend 
us, Christ. 

In all time of our tribulation, in all time of our pros- 
perity, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, 
good Lord deliver us. 

Grant that, being received for thy own children by 
adoption, and being incorporated into thy holy church, 
we may receive the fulness of thy grace, and ever re- 
main in the number of thy faithful children ; and finally, 
with the residue of thy people, may be made partakers 
of thy heavenly kingdom. 



208 FIFTH WEEK. 

Preserve us, especially, from all the evils to which we 
may be exposed this night. Graciously give thy angels 
charge concerning us, to pitch their tents around our 
beds : and grant that our friends, our neighbours, and 
all who are dear to us, may be brought in safety to the 
beginning of another day. 

As often as we are about to lie down on the bed of 
sleep, help us to look forward to that sleep in the dust 
of the earth, from which all shall awake at the last, some 
to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting 
contempt. 

And may we be found meet, in that day, to join in 
that glorious song which thou hast prepared for those 
who wait for thy appearing : '' Lo ! this is our God : we 
have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the 
Lord; we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation." 

Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all 
things in heaven and earth, mercifully hear these our 
supplications; and grant us thy peace all the days of 
our life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Our Father, &c. 



FRIDAY MORNING. Ootterill 

Almighty God, whose ears are always open to the 
petitions of thy humble servants, unto thee do we lift up 
our souls. We would seek thee whilst thou mayest be 
found ; and call upon thee whilst thou art near. 

Dispose us ever to direct our prayer unto thee, and 
to look up ; and, daily, at thy footstool, to wait for thy 
blessing, more than they who watch for the morning, 
yea, more than they who watch for the morning. 

Let every day begin with thee. For thou, Lord, 
art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffer- 
ing, and plenteous in goodness and truth. How precious 
are thy thoughts which are to us-ward ! 

Thou hast protected us during the hours of darkness ; 
for the darkness is no darkness with thee ; but the night 



FIFTH WEEK. 209 

shineth as the day : the darkness and the light to thee 
are both alike. We have slept and awoke, and are still 
with thee. Thou art a God at hand, and not afar oflF; 
and none can hide themselves in secret places, where 
thou canst not see them. 

Whither shall we go from thy Spirit ? And whither 
shall we flee from thy presence ? If we ascend up into 
heaven, thou art there ; if we go down to hell, thou art 
there also. If we should take the wings of the morning, 
and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there 
would thy hand lead us, and thy right hand hold us. 

We humble ourselves before thee, for the sins which 
thy all-seeing eyes have beheld in the course of our lives. 
Very grievous are they, Lord, and more than we are 
able to express ; and not one of them is forgotten before 
thee. If thou shouldst be extreme to mark what is done 
amiss, Lord, who may abide it? We confess that 
our hearts cannot endure, nor our hands be strong, in 
that day when thou shalt deal with us, if thou deal 
with us according to our sins, and reward us according 
to our iniquities. 

But, we beseech thee, Lord, deal not thus with thy 
servants. Blot out the hand- writing that is against us ; 
and take it out of the way, nailing it to the cross of thy 
beloved Son. Grant unto us redemption through his 
blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to the 
riches of thy grace. May we be washed ; may we be 
sanctified ; may we be justified, in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, and by thy Spirit, Lord God. 

Let a sense of thy presence abide with us this day. 
May we set thee always before us, remembering that 
thou, God, seest us. And since unto thee all hearts 
are open, all desires known, and from thee no secrets 
are hid ; cleanse, we beseech thee, the thoughts of our 
hearts, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we 
may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy 
name. 

And while we acknowledge thee in all our ways, do 
thou in mercy direct our paths. As thou didst vouch- 



210 FIFTH WEEK. 

safe to lead thy people Israel in safety througli the wil- 
derness, going before them by day in a pillar of cloud, 
and in a pillar of fire by night ; so be thou mercifully 
pleased to lead and protect us in the way in which we 
should go. Stand continually at our right hand, that 
we may not be moved. Strengthen us with the Holy 
Ghost, the Comforter; and daily increase in us thy 
manifold gifts of grace ; the spirit of wisdom and under- 
standing, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit 
of knowledge and true piety ; and fill us, Lord, with 
thy holy fear, now and evermore. . 

We beseech thee, also, Lord, to give unto our fel- 
low-creatures a due reverence of thy holy presence. 

May the ungodly remember that thou knowest their 
manifold transgressions ; and that there is no darkness, 
or shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may 
hide their heads. 

May those who have hitherto been deceiving them- 
selves or others, with vain professions of religion, be 
brought to see that they cannot deceive thee ; and so 
may be led to seek thee in truth and sincerity. 

Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity 
cleanse and defend thy church ; and because it cannot 
continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it ever- 
more by thy help and goodness. 

Let thy presence comfort and support thy afilicted 
people : and be a refuge to them in all their troubles. 

Furthermore, we pray thee to dwell in the hearts of 
all who are near and dear to us ; and to make them a 
holy temple in the Lord, the habitation of thy blessed 
Spirit, through Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. 

Our Father, &c. 



FRIDAY EVENING. Cotterill 

Almighty and immortal God, the aid of all that need, 
the helper of all that flee to thee for succour, the life of 
them that believe, and the resurrection of the dead, re- 



FIFTH WEEK. 211 

ceive us, as thou hast promised by thy well-beloved Son, 
saying, Ask, and ye shall have ; seek, and ye shall find ; 
knock, and it shall be opened unto you. So give now 
unto us that ask ; let us that seek find ; open the gate 
unto us that knock, that we may enjoy the everlasting 
benediction of thy heavenly grace, and may come to the 
eternal kingdom which thou hast promised by Chris^, 
our Lord. 

We draw nigh unto thee in his great name, trusting 
to thy word, that whosoever believeth in thy beloved 
Son shall be saved. And we beseech thee to grant, that 
we may come unto him this night, weary and heavy 
laden with the burden of our sins, and may thus find 
rest to our souls. 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so great 
let thy mercy be towards us. Far as the east is from 
the west, so far do thou remove our transgressions from 
us. Yea, like as an earthly father pitieth his children, 
so do thou, our heavenly Father, pity and have mercy 
upon us. Adopt us into thy family; take away our 
guilt ; accept our persons ; and reconcile us unto thy- 
self, through the blood of thy beloved Son. 

We pray thee, also, Lord, to show unto us more of 
the evil of sin, that we may know more of thy wonder- 
ful grace and mercy in pardoning it ; and more of the 
loving-kindness of God our Saviour, in dying to redeem 
us from it. 

the depths of the riches of thy wisdom, thy know- 
ledge, and thy love ! Thou, God, the merciful and 
gracious Lord, hast so done thy marvellous works, that 
they ought to be had in remembrance. Thou hast sent 
redemption unto thy people ; thou hast commanded thy 
covenant for ever ; holy and reverend is thy name. It 
is a good thing to give thanks unto thee, Lord ; and 
to sing praises unto thy name, thou. Most Highest ; 
to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and 
thy faithfulness every night. We, thy unworthy ser- 
vants, therefore, do give thee most humble and hearty 
thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us 



212 FIFTH WEEK. 

and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preser- 
vation, and all the blessings of this life ; but, above all, 
for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world, 
by our Lord Jesus Christ ; for the means of grace, and 
for the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us 
that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may 
be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may show forth 
thy praise, not only with our lips but in our lives, by 
giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking be- 
fore thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom with thee and 
the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world with- 
out end. 

Vouchsafe, Lord, to hear our prayers for those 
whom it is our duty and our desire to remember at the 
throne of grace. 

May it please thee to bring into the way of truth all 
such as have erred, and are deceived. 

May it please thee to defend and bless all who are in 
authority ; to rule their hearts in thy faith, fear, and 
love, that they may ever seek thy honour and glory. 

May it please thee to guide and protect our magis- 
trates, that they may be a terror to evil-doers, and for 
the praise of them that do well. 

May it please thee to illuminate all the ministers of 
thy blessed gospel with true knowledge and understand- 
ing of thy word ; and that both by their preaching and 
living, they may set it forth and show it accordingly. 

May it please thee to bless the faithful in Christ 
Jesus, and to give them grace to continue faithful unto 
death. 

May it please thee to bless the rising generation, es- 
pecially the generation of those that seek thee, and of 
all our kindred, friends, and neighbours. Grant that 
our children, as they grow in stature, may grow in wis- 
dom and in grace, and in favour with thee and man : 
and thus may become thy sons and daughters, Lord 
Almighty. 

Finally, may it please thee to stand at the right hand 



FIFTH WEEK. 213 

of the poor and destitute, and to be unto them a tower 
of strength against all their enemies. 

Grant, Lord, these our petitions, through the merits 
of Jesus Christ our Saviour ; who liveth and reigneth 
with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, 
world without end. 

Our Father, &c. 



SATURDAY MORNING. Bp. Bloomjield. 

ALMiaHTY and most merciful Father, who, for our 
many sins committed against thee, mightest most justly 
have cut us off in the midst of our days, we humbly 
thank thee, that in the multitude of thy mercies thou 
hast hitherto spared us. 

Accept, we beseech thee, our unfeigned sorrow for 
our past transgressions ; and grant that we may never 
so presume upon thy mercy, as to despise the riches of 
thy goodness ; but let a sense of thy forbearance and 
long-suffering work in us repentance and amendment of 
life, to thy honour and glory, and to our final accept- 
ance in the last day, through the merits of our Saviour 
Jesus Christ. 

Keep alive in us, Lord, a true spirit of devotion : 
and preserve us from the great sin of praying to thee 
with our lips only, and not with our heart and mind. 

Convince us of our entire dependence upon thee; 
quicken us in the pursuit of things eternal; that we 
may continually press forward to obtain the prize of our 
high calling in Christ Jesus. 

Dispose us, we beseech thee, rightly to discharge the 
duties of this day. Watch over our path ; compass us 
about with thy favour ; preserve us in our going out and 
coming in ; and direct all our steps in the way of thy 
commandments. 

Make us truly honest and conscientious in all our 
dealings ; diligent in the performance of our duty ; in- 
nocent in our conversation ; meek, charitable, and for- 



214 FIFTH WEEK. 

giving towards others ; watchful over ourselves, and ever 
mindful of thy presence. 

Sanctify unto us our crosses and afflictions, if it be 
thy good pleasure to afflict us ; and give us such a mea- 
sure of patience and godly resolution, that we may be 
willing to take up our cross daily, and to follow the 
Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. 

Lord, if we have now asked any thing amiss, we 
pray thee pardon our ignorance and infirmity ; and 
whatsoever is good for us, even if we ask it not, be 
pleased to grant to us, in the name and for the sake 
of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and 
Advocate. 

Our Father, &c. 



SATURDAY EVENING. E. More. 

In an humble acknowledgement of our manifold sins 
and iniquities, which we from time to time, and more 
especially this day, have committed against thee, both 
in thought, word, and deed, we now prostrate ourselves 
before thee, Lord of heaven and earth, beseeching 
thee, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Lord and 
Saviour, to be merciful unto us. Forgive us, Lord, 
that we have not rendered unto thee according to thy 
mercy and loving-kindness ; that we have been forgetful 
and disobedient, and have sinned against heaven, and in 
thy sight. Let thy Holy Spirit sanctify us throughout, 
and give us more and more grace and strength, whereby 
we may be enabled to subdue all our sinful and corrupt 
affections ; grant that we may improve the remainder of 
our days with all possible care, and give all diligence to 
make our calling and election sure, that we may so per- 
severe therein unto death, that at last we may attain 
everlasting life. 

Accept our praises and thanksgivings for all thy mer- 
cies vouchsafed us in this life, and for the hopes of a 
better. And now that we are going to take our rest and 



FIFTH WEEK. 215 

sleep, let us consider that thou. Lord, only makest us to 
dwell in safety ; whether we sleep or wake, live or die, 
let us be found thine own, to thy eternal glory, and our 
everlasting salvation, through Jesus Christ. 

our God, another week has just passed away, and 
we are still in the land of the living, while so many of 
our fellow-creatures have passed from time into eternity. 
Blessed be God for the continuance of life and health, 
and for prolonged opportunities of preparing for death 
and judgment. 

gracious God, let not this continuance of mercy in- 
crease our condemnation, by encouraging us to commit 
sin, because hitherto thine anger has been withheld from 
falling upon us. Let us not treasure up wrath unto our- 
selves against the day of wrath ; but teach us to number 
our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 

Prepare us, most blessed God, by sleep and rest, to 
take our part in the duties of the Sabbath to-morrow. 
Give us that sense of sin which leads to a full confession 
of its guilt, and to faith in the atonement of Christ for 
its pardon. Give us that adoring gratitude for all thy 
mercies, more especially for the great mercy of a Sa- 
viour, which may incline us to praise thee with joyful 
lips. Give us that sense of the value of our souls, and 
of the greatness of thy salvation, which may lead us to 
seek life and mercy with all our hearts. let not the 
coming Sabbath be defectively used, like those which 
are passed; but let it be so improved, by public and 
private means of grace, as to advance our meetness for 
the service of that eternal Sabbath that remaineth for 
the people of God ; through the merit and mediation of 
Jesus Christ. 

Our Father, &c. 



PEAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

FOR 

PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 

LAST EVENING OF THE OLD YEAR. Jay. 

G0D5 thou hast been our refuge and dwelling-place 
in all generations ; before the mountains were brought 
forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, 
even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. A 
thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it 
is past, and as a watch in the night. But as for man, 
his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flou- 
risheth ; for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and 
the place thereof knoweth it no more. 

We appear before thee, to close in thy presence, an- 
other of the revolutions of our fleeting existence, ear- 
nestly praying that the season may not pass away, 
without suitable and serious reflections. We know that 
our life is a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and 
then vanisheth away ; we know the frailty of our frame, 
and the numberless diseases and disasters to which we 
are exposed — so teach us to number our days that we 
may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 

What numbers of our fellow-creatures have, during 
the past year, been carried down to their long home — 
but we have been preserved ; and are living to praise 
thee this day. Blessed be the God of salvation, to whom 
belong the issues from death, that we are yet in the re- 
gions of hope, that we have yet an accepted time, and a 

(216) 



PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS. 217 

day of salvation ; and that our opportunities of doing 
good, as well as of gaining good, are still prolonged. 

Thou hast commanded us to remember all the way, 
which thou hast led us in the wilderness. The scene of 
our journeying has indeed been a wilderness ; but the 
hand that has conducted us is divine ; and a thousand 
privileges have beeii experienced in it. 

Thou hast corrected us, but it is of the Lord's mercies 
we are not consumed. 

We have had our afflictions, but how few have they 
been in number ; how short in continuance ; how alle- 
viated in degree ; how merciful in design ; how instructive 
and useful in their results. 

Thou hast not dealt with us after our sins, neither hast 
thou rewarded us according to our iniquities. 

But what a series of bounties and blessings present 
themselves to our minds, when we look back upon the 
year through which we have passed : and to what, but 
to thine unmerited goodness in the Son of thy love, are 
we indebted for all. Health, strength, food, raiment, 
residence, friends, relations, comfort, pleasure, hope, use- 
fulness, — all our benefits have dropped from thy gracious 
hand ; and there has not been a day, or an hour, or a 
moment, but has published thy kindness and thy care. 

Especially would we acknowledge thy goodness, in 
continuing to us the means of grace. Whatever has been 
denied us, we have had the provisions of thy house. The 
toils and trials of the week have been refreshed and re- 
lieved by the delights of the Sabbath. Our eyes have 
seen our teachers. Our ears have heard the joyful sound 
of the gospel ; and our hearts have often said, Lord, it 
is good for us to be here. 

*And we especially praise thy name, thou God of 
grace, for all the success which has attended the means 
of grace. We thank thee that thy Holy Spirit has been 
sent down upon thy churches. We praise thee that thy 
grace has been imparted to any to comfort the disconso- 
late ; to strengthen the feeble ; to support the dying. 
We bless thee that the preached gospel has been attended 
10 



218 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

with success ; and that the reviving influences of thy 
Holy Spirit have been felt in our land. We thank thee 
for all the mild and benignant influences of our holy re- 
ligion upon the nation amid whom we live ; and that the 
inestimable blessings of liberty, peace, prosperity, and 
education, are still continued with us. And we give praise 
to thy name that thou hast remembered thy promises to 
thy church — that thou hast extended its cords, and 
strengthened its stakes — that thou hast excited thy 
people to the great work of spreading thy gospel among 
the nations — and hast crowned their eiforts with so 
cheering success.* 

And 0, that every moment of the past year could, if 
called upon — and it will be called upon, bear witness to 
our gratitude, love and obedience. 0, that it was not 
in its power to convict us of the most unworthy requitals 
of thy goodness. To thee, Lord, belong glory and 
honour, but to us shame and confusion of face. 0, who 
can understand his errors ? how many duties have 
we neglected or improperly performed ! How little have 
we redeemed our time, or improved our talents ! How 
little have we been alive to thy glory, or sought, or even 
seized, when presented, opportunities of serving our 
generation ! How unprofited have we been under the 
richest means of religious prosperity — and, when for 
the time we ought to be able to teach others, we need 
to be again taught ourselves, what are the first princi- 
ples of the oracles of God. 

God be merciful to us sinners. Pardon our iniquity, 
for it is great. Cleanse us from all unrighteousness ; 
and work in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure. 
Let us not carry one of our old sins with us into the 
new year — unforgiven — unrepented of — unbewailed — 
unabhorred. With a new portion of time, may we have 
new hearts ; and become new creatures. 

If this coming year we should die — and in the midst 
of life we are in death — may death prove our eternal 
gain : and if our days are prolonged, may we walk be- 
fore the Lord in the land of the living, and show forth 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 219 

all thy praise. The number of our months is with thee. 
In thy hand our breath is, and thine are all our ways. 
Prepare us for all : and be with us in all : and bring us 
safely through all, into the rest that remains for thy 
people ; for the sake of our Lord and Saviour ; in whose 
words we call thee, Our Father, &c. Amen. 



FIRST MORNING OF THE NEW YEAR. Jay. 

O Lord, of old hast thou laid the foundation of the 
earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They 
shall perish, but thou shalt endure ; yea, all of them 
shall wax old like a garment ; as a vesture shalt thou 
change them, and they shall be changed ; but thou art 
the same, and thy years shall have no end. We desire, 
God, with the profoundest reverence to contemplate 
the eternity of thy nature. May our minds be filled 
with elevation and grandeur, at the thought of a Being 
with whom one day is as a thousand years, and a thou- 
sand years as one day ; a Being who, amidst all the 
revolutions of empire, and the lapse of ages, feels no 
variableness nor shadow of turning. How glorious, 
with immortality attached to them, are all thy attributes ; 
and how secure are the hopes and happiness of all those 
who know thy name and put their trust in thee. 

May we rejoice, that while men die, the Lord liveth ; 
that while all creatures are found broken reeds and bro- 
ken cisterns, he is the Rock of Ages, and the fountain 
of living waters. that we may turn away our hearts 
from vanity ; and among all the uncertainties of the 
present state, look after an interest in that everlasting 
covenant, which is ordered in all things and sure. May 
we seek after an union with thyself, as the strength of 
our heart, and our portion forever, for thou hast assured 
us that while the world passeth away, and the lusts 
thereof, he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 

We thank thee that thou hast revealed to us the way 
in which a fallen and perishing sinner can be eternally 



220 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

united to thyself; and that Jesus is the way, the truth, 
and the life. In his name we come ; 0, receive us gra- 
ciously ; justify us freely ; renew us in the spirit of our 
minds ; and bless us with all spiritual blessings in 
heavenly places in Christ. 

By the lapse of our days, and weeks, and years, 
which we are called upon so often to remark, may we be 
reminded how short our life is, and how soon we shall 
close our eyes on every prospect below the sun ; and, 
0, suffer us not to neglect the claims of eternity, in the 
pursuit of the trifles of time ; but knowing how frail we 
are, may we be wise enough to choose that good part 
which shall not be taken away from us ; and before we 
leave the present evil world, may we secure an inherit- 
ance in another and a better. May thoughts of death 
and eternity so impress our minds, as to put seriousness 
into our prayers, and vigour into our resolutions ; may 
they loosen us from an undue attachment to things seen 
and temporal ; so that we may weep as though we wept 
not, and rejoice as if we rejoiced not. 

And remembering that the present life, so short, so 
uncertain — and so much of which is already vanished, is 
the only opportunity we shall ever have for usefulness, 
may we be concerned to redeem the time. May we be 
alive and awake at every call of charity and piety. May 
we feed the hungry, and clothe the naked ; may we in- 
struct the ignorant ; reclaim the vicious ; forgive the 
oifending ; diffuse the gospel ; and consider one another 
to provoke one another unto love and good works, not 
forsaking the assembling ourselves together as the man- 
ner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much 
the more as we see the day approaching. 

As we have entered on a new period of life, may we 
faithfully examine ourselves, to see what has been amiss 
in our former temper or conduct ; and in thy strength 
may we resolve to correct it. And may we inquire for 
the future — w^ith a full determination to reduce our 
knowledge to practice — Lord, what wilt thou have me 
to do ? 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 221 

Prepare us for all the duties of the ensuing year. All 
the wisdom and strength necessary for the performance 
of them must come from thyself; may we, therefore, 
live a life of self-distrust, of divine dependence, and of 
prayer ; may we ask and receive, that our joy may be 
full ; may we live in the Spirit, and walk in the Spirit. 

If we are indulged with prosperity, let not our 
prosperity destroy us, or injure us. If we are exercised 
with adversity, suffer us not to sink in the hour of 
trouble, or sin against God. May we know how to be 
abased, without despondence ; and to abound, without 
pride. If our relative comforts are continued to us, 
may we love them without idolatry, and hold them at 
thy disposal ; and if they are recalled from us, may we 
be enabled to say, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away ; and blessed be the name of the Lord. 

Fit us for all events. We know not what a day may 
bring forth ; but we encourage ourselves in the Lord 
our God, and go forward. Thou hast been thus far our 
helper ; thou hast promised to be with us in every con- 
dition ; thou hast engaged to make all things work to- 
gether for good ; all thy ways are mercy and truth. 
May we, therefore, be careful for nothing ; but in every 
thing, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, 
may we make known our requests unto God ; and may 
the peace of God, that passeth all understanding, keep 
our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Bless, bless the young ; may each of them, this 
day, hear thee saying. My son give me thy heart ; and, 
from this time, may they cry unto thee, as the guide of 
their youth. Regard those who have reached the years, 
wherein they say, we have no pleasure in them. If old 
in sin, may they be urged to embrace, before it be for- 
ever too late, the things that belong to their peace ; and 
if old in grace, uphold them with thy free Spirit, and 
help them to remember, that now is their salvation 
nearer than when they believed. 

Bless all the dear connexions attached to us by nature, 



222 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

friendship, or religion. Grace be to them, and peace 
be multiplied. 

Let our country share thy protection and smiles. 
Bless all our rulers and magistrates. 

*We commend to thee, most merciful Father, the in- 
terests of thy church in the advancing year. Not know- 
ing that it will be thy good pleasure to keep us in the 
land of the living, yet we pray that thou wilt regard 
with special favour thy holy church ; and smile continu- 
ally upon Zion. Give grace to thy ministers that they 
may preach thy gospel with simplicity, power, and suc- 
cess. Bless all Sunday schools. And may thy Spirit 
be given to enlighten all Sunday school teachers, and to 
sanctify all Sunday school scholars. May thy Holy 
Spirit descend upon the churches. Let pure and unde- 
filed religion prevail in all the congregations of thy people. 
May sinners be converted in great numbers to thyself ; 
and may this year be distinguished by great and suc- 
cessful efforts to spread the gospel through this land, 
and through all the world. Smile, gracious God, on 
all missionaries of the cross ; amid all their labours and 
sufferings, and privations, do thou sustain them. Let 
not thy people faint, and grow weary in this work ; and 
during the advancing year, grant, we beseech thee, that 
the power of thy gospel may be felt in all lands, and 
soon may the whole family of man be brought under the 
saving power of divine truth.* 

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done on earth as 
it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread, and 
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that tres- 
pass against us ; and lead us not into temptation ; but 
deliver us from evil : for thine is the kingdom, and the 
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen, 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 223 

FOR CHRISTMAS DAY. Cotterill 

MORNING. 

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
we humbly beseech thee to accept our hearty thanks for 
the manifold mercies which thou hast poured upon us. 

We bless thee, especially, for sending thy well beloved 
Son, to take our nature upon him, and to be made in 
the likeness of sinful flesh. 

We rejoice that unto us a Child is born ; that unto us 
a Son is given. And we would join the multitude of the 
heavenly host, in ascribing glory to thee in the highest ; 
peace on earth ; good will toward men. 

We praise thee for revealing to us the way in which 
mercy and truth have met together ; in which righteous- 
ness and peace have kissed each other. And we account 
it a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that 
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 

Help us, Lord, to employ this day in meditating on 
this great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the 
flesh, which thy holy angels desire to look into. 

And as, when thou didst bring thy first-begotten into 
the world, thou didst command all the heavenly host to 
worship him, so may we also give unto him the glory 
which is due unto his name. 

thou great and glorious Redeemer, who art Won- 
derful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting 
Father, the Prince of Peace, we praise thee ; we bless 
thee ; we worship thee ; we glorify thee ; we give thanks 
to thee for thy great glory, Lord God, Lamb of God, 
the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, King of kings, and 
Lord of lords, Emmanuel, God with us. For thou only 
art holy ; thou only art the Lord ; thou only, Christ, 
with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God 
the Father. 

But chiefly, at this time, we adore thee for leaving the 
glory which thou hadst with the Father before the world 
began. We know thy grace, Lord Jesus Christ, that 



224 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

thougli thou wast richj yet for our sakes thou didst be- 
come poor, that we, through thy poverty, might be made 
rich. We beseech thee, by the mystery of thy holy in- 
carnation and nativity, good Lord, deliver us. Son of 
David, have mercy upon us. Thou, who didst come that 
we might have life, and might have it more abundantly, 
be gracious unto us. 

Thou who wast called Jesus, that thou mightest save 
thy people from their sins, save us, and help us, we 
humbly beseech thee, Lord. 

And give unto us grace. Almighty God, that we may 
cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the 
armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in 
which thy Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great 
humility. 

As he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, 
and hath left us an example to do unto others as he hath 
done unto us, so may we learn to take his yoke upon us, 
and to learn of him, who was meek and lowly in heart, 
that we may find rest unto our souls. Grant, that we, 
being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and 
grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit, and 
follow the blessed steps of his most holy life ; ever re- 
membering that he gave himself for us, to redeem us 
from all iniquity, and to purify us unto himself a pecu- 
liar people, zealous of good works. 

Vouchsafe, Lord, thy special blessing to us this day. 

Have compassion, also, on those who have never heard 
of the coming of our blessed Lord in the flesh. In him 
who hath arisen to rule over the Gentiles, let the Gen- 
tiles trust, and find his rest to be glorious. 

Merciftdly with thy favour look upon the whole Chris- 
tian world. May all that name the name of Christ de- 
part from iniquity. Especially preserve them from 
turning this season into an occasion of revellings and 
unholy mirth. Let them rejoice, as Christians, in Christ 
their Saviour ; and let thy grace teach them to deny all 
ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, right- 
eously, and godly, in this present world. 



rOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 225 

And, as at thy first coming, Lord Jesus Christ, thou 
didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before 
thee, we beseech thee, finally, to grant that the minis- 
ters and stewards of thy mysteries, may likewise so 
prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts 
of the disobedient to the wisdom the just ; that, at thy 
second coming to judge the world, we may be found an 
acceptable people in thy sight, through Jesus Christ, 
our Lord, in whose name we further pray : — 

Our Father, &c. 



FOR CHRISTMAS DAY. 

EVENING. 



Holy and merciful God, who art of purer eyes than 
to behold iniquity, and yet long-suiFering towards sin- 
ners, we approach thy throne, acknowledging our un- 
worthiness, and putting our whole trust and confidence 
in the promises which thou hast made unto us in Christ 
Jesus our Lord. 

We have greatly provoked thee to anger by our mani- 
fold ofiences ; and, were not judgment thy strange work, 
we should long since have received at thy hands the just 
reward of our evil-doings. 

But thou declarest thy almighty power most chiefly 
in showing mercy and pity. Thou hast not stretched 
forth the right hand of thy majesty to avenge thee of 
thine enemies ; but with thine own arm thou hast wrought 
out redemption for us. Thou hast not sent thy Son into 
the world to condemn the world, but that the world 
through him might be saved. 

We bless thee for revealing to us this great mystery, 
which was hid from ages and generations, but is now 
made manifest unto the sons of men. We rejoice that 
unto us was born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 
Our souls do magnify the Lord, and our spirits do rejoice 
in God our Saviour. Hosanna to the Son of David ! 
10* 



226 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord ! 
Hosanna in the highest ! 

Blessed be thou, the God of Israel, for visiting and 
redeeming thy people, and raising up a horn of salvation 
for them ; for performing the promise made unto their 
fathers, and for remembering thy holy covenant. 

Praised be thy name, for sending forth, in the fulness 
of time, thy only begotten Son, made of a woman, made 
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of 
sons. "^ 

Glory be unto thee, for causing thy loving-kindness 
toward us to appear. Not by works of righteousness 
which we have done, but according to thy mercy, thou 
hast saved us. 

Thou, who wast in Christ reconciling the world unto 
thyself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, forgive 
us all our trespasses. Through him who was made in 
the likeness of sinful flesh, and came to seek and to save 
that which was lost, have mercy upon us. By the mys- 
tery of his holy incarnation and nativity, good Lord, 
deliver us. 

And, since thy blessed Son was manifested that he 
might destroy the works of the devil, to make us the 
children of God and heirs of eternal life, grant, we be- 
seech thee, that having this hope, we may purify our- 
selves, even as he is pure ; and that, when he shall come 
again, in power and great glory, we may be made like 
unto him, in his eternal and glorious kingdom. 

But who may abide the day of his coming? And 
who may stand when he appeareth ? thou compas- 
sionate and faithful High Priest, partaker of our flesh 
and blood, who wast in all points tempted like as we are, 
yet without sin, and art not ashamed to call us brethren, 
have pity upon our infirmities ; and grant unto us, that 
we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, 
may serve thee, without fear, in holiness and righteous- 
ness before thee, all the days of our life. 

Fill our hearts with love to thee for the unspeakable 
gift which thou didst vouchsafe to bestow upon a sinful 



FOR PARTICULxiR OCCASIONS. 227 

world ; and dispose us always most thankfully to receive 
the same. 

Let the same mind, also, be in us, which was in Christ 
Jesus ; who being in the form of God, and thinking it 
not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of 
no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, 
and was found in fashion as a man, a man of sorrows 
and acquainted with grief. 

Help us continually to follow the example of his great 
humility. In lowliness of mind may we esteem others 
better than ourselves. And give us grace so to walk in 
all holiness of living, that we may not be ashamed before 
him at his coming. 

We pray likewise, heavenly Father, that, through 
thy tender mercies, the Day-Spring from on high, which 
hath visited us, may arise, and shine upon the nations 
that are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, 
to guide their feet into the way of peace. 

Grant that it may both be a light to lighten the Gen- 
tiles, and be the glory of thy people Israel. 

And may none of those who behold it, love darkness 
rather than light, because their deeds are evil. 

Raise up faithful and able ministers of the New Tes- 
tament, to go before the face of the Lord, to prepare 
his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people, 
by the remission of their sins. 

Pour down thy grace and heavenly benediction upon 
all who are called Christians. May the children of Zion 
be joyful in their King ! And may they so truly follow 
the blessed steps of their Lord and Master, that they 
may be saved by him in the great day of his appearing 
and glory. Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our only 
Lord and Saviour. 

Our Father, &c. 



228 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

FOR A SACRAMENT SABBATH. Cotterill. 

MORNING. 

HOLY and gracious Lord God, who wilt by no means 
clear the guilty, yet sparest those who confess their sins 
unto thee, look down with compassion upon us, thy ser- 
vants, who are now humbled before thee, imploring thy 
fatherly forgiveness. Spare us, good Lord, spare us, 
for we are miserable sinners ! We cannot set all our 
transgressions in order before thee, nor confess them so 
truly as we ought to do ; yet we desire not to cloak and 
dissemble them before thy face, heavenly Father, 
trusting to thy word, that if we confess our sins, thou 
art faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse 
us from all unrighteousness. Be merciful unto us, we 
most humbly beseech thee ; for we put our whole trust 
and confidence in thy mercy, and not in anything that 
we do. We have destroyed ourselves, but in thee is our 
help. Save, Lord, or we perish ; for there is salvation 
in no other. To whom else should we go ? Thou only 
hast the words of eternal life. Grant unto us, Lord, 
we beseech thee, pardon and peace ; that we may be 
cleansed from all our sins, and may serve thee with a 
quiet mind. 

We praise thee, God, for the multitude of thy bless- 
ings vouchsafed unto us, particularly for the many op- 
portunities which thou affordest us of becoming wise 
unto salvation. 

What shall we render unto thee this day, for all the 
benefits which thou hast done unto us ? We will receive 
the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the 
Lord. We will pay our vows in the courts of thy house, 
and in the presence of all thy people. 

We give thee most humble and hearty thanks, Al- 
mighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou hast 
given thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, not only to die 
for us, but to be our spiritual food and sustenance in the 
holy sacrament of his body and blood. Dispose us reli- 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 229 

giously and devoutly to receive the same, in remem- 
brance of his meritorious cross and passion ; whereby 
alone we obtain the remission of our sins, and are made 
partakers of the kingdom of heaven. Teach us to con- 
sider the dignity of that holy mystery, and so to search 
and examine our own consciences, that we may come 
holy and clean to such a heavenly feast, in the marriage 
garment required by thee in holy Scripture, and may 
be received as worthy partakers of that holy table. 

May we spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink 
his blood ! May we dwell in Christ, and Christ in us ! 
May we be one with Christ, and Christ with us ! And 
may his body, which w^as given for us, and his precious 
blood, which was shed upon the cross, preserve our 
bodies and souls unto everlasting life ! 

Mercifully vouchsafe, Lord, to extend unto all our 
fellow-creatures the inestimable benefits of Christ's suf- 
fering and death. 

Give grace, heavenly Father, to all thy ministering 
servants, that they may, both by their life and doctrine, 
set forth thy true and lively word, and rightly and duly 
administer thy holy sacraments. And to all thy people 
give thy heavenly grace ; especially to such as shall as- 
semble with us in thy holy temple, and shall come to 
the holy communion of the body and blood of our 
Saviour Christ. May they diligently examine themselves 
before they eat of that bread, and drink of that cup, and 
so judge themselves, that they be not judged of thee. 
May they examine themselves, whether they repent truly 
of their former sins, steadfastly purpose to lead a new 
life, have a lively faith in thy mercies through Christ, 
with a thankful remembrance of his death, and be in 
charity with all men. And may numbers be added to 
thy church continually, of those who are willing to join 
themselves unto thee in an everlasting covenant, not to 
be forgotten. 

* Pitifully behold the sorrows of those who are filled 
with groundless fears, lest they should eat and drink un- 
worthily. May they hear and receive the comfortable 



230 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

things which Christ our Saviour saith unto all who truly 
turn unto him. May they come unto him labouring and 
heavy laden with the burden of their sins, and so find 
rest unto their souls. 

Finally, we beseech thee to have compassion upon 
those who shall most unthankfully refuse to come to thy 
table, though so graciously called and bidden. May 
they take heed, lest, by withdrawing themselves from 
this holy supper of their Lord, they provoke his just 
indignation against them. May they earnestly consider 
how little their excuses will avail before thee, and by 
thy grace be brought to a better mind ; seriously remem- 
bering, that if they eat not the flesh of the Son of man, 
and drink not his blood, they have no life in them, and 
neither part nor lot in his salvation. 

Grant this, God of mercy, for the sake of Jesus 
Christ, our only Lord and Saviour* 

Our Father, &o. 



FOR A SACRAMENT SABBATH. Cottenll 

EVENING. 

Almighty God and Father, who, according to the 
multitude of thy mercies, dost so put away the sins of 
those who truly repent, that thou rememberest them no 
more, open thine eye of mercy upon us, thy servants, 
who earnestly desire thy pardon and forgiveness. Renew 
in us, heavenly Father, whatever hath been decayed 
by the fraud and malice of the devil, and by our own 
carnal will and frailty. And forasmuch as we put our 
full trust and confidence in thee, impute not unto us 
our manifold transgressions, but wash them away in the 
blood of thy beloved Son. Graciously vouchsafe to re- 
ceive us to thy favour. Sanctify us and strengthen us 
by thy Holy Spirit ; and at length bring us unto the 
kingdom of heaven, and to everlasting life. 

We praise thee for thy promises of forgiveness to 
those who truly turn unto thee. 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 231 

We bless thee for another day of sacred rest, which 
thou hast vouchsafed unto us, and for all the blessings 
of the same. 

Above all things, we give thee most humble and 
hearty thanks for the redemption of the world by the 
death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. May we 
always remember the exceeding great love of our Mas- 
ter and only Saviour, Jesus Christ, thus dying for us, 
and the innumerable benefits which, by his precious 
blood-shedding, he hath obtained unto us, and also his 
goodness and loving-kindness in instituting and ordain- 
ing holy ordinances as pledges of hi.s love, to our great 
and endless comfort. 

Grant that we, who have eaten and drunk in thy pre- 
sence, may receive the strengthening and refreshing of 
our souls by the body and blood of Christ. Help us to 
remember the solemn vows which we have this day re- 
newed in thy presence, and in the presence of all thy 
people ; and enable us truly to perform them. May we 
go forth into the world bearing about us the marks of a 
crucified Saviour. Having enlisted ourselves again under 
the banners of the Captain of our salvation, may we 
manfully fight the good fight of faith, and continue his 
faithful soldiers and servants unto our lives' end. Grant 
that we may have power and strength to have victory, 
and to triumph against the devil, and the world, and the 
flesh. May we be encouraged in our holy warfare by 
the ensamples of the glorious company of the apostles, 
the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the noble army 
of martyrs, and of all the holy church triumphant, who 
have been made more than conquerors through him who 
loved them, and bought them with his blood. 

As thou hast knit together thine elect in one commu- 
nion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son 
Jesus Christ our Lord ; grant us grace so to follow thy 
blessed saints in all virtuous and holy living, that we 
may enter into those unspeakable joys, which thou hast 
prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee. And 



232 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be 
admired in all them that believe, may we sit down with 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all thy redeemed peo- 
ple, at the marriage supper of the Lamb. 

Grant, also, Lord, we beseech thee, that those 
who have waited on thee this day in thy holy tem- 
ple, and around thy table, may renew their spiritual 
strength. 

May all men see that they are thy disciples, by the 
love which they have one to another. God, who hast 
taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing 
worth, send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts 
that most excellent gift of love, the very bond of peace 
and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is 
counted dead before thee. Let there be no schism in 
the body of Christ ; but let the members have the same 
care one of another, knowing, that if any sin against 
their brother, and wound his weak conscience, they sin 
against Christ. 

And since the offence of the cross is not ceased, com- 
fort and succour all those who may any ways suffer from 
love to thee and thy cause. Hide them under thy wing. 
Enable them to witness a good confession, and to give 
no just occasion to their enemies to blaspheme. By well- 
doing, let them put to silence the ignorance of foolish 
men, in meekness instructing those that oppose them- 
selves, if peradventure thou mayest give them repentance 
to the acknowledging of the truth. 

Convert the hearts of all those who are thrusting 
away from them thy great mercies : especially of such 
as have this day neglected thy ordinances, and turned 
aside from thy holy table. 

And, if any have there appeared before thee with un- 
clean hands and unsanctified hearts, without the mar- 
riage-garment required by thee in holy scripture, not 
discerning the Lord's body, may they search and examine 
their conscience, and repent ; lest, after the taking of 
this holy sacrament, Satan enter into them as he entered 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 233 

into Judas, and fill them full of all iniquity, and bring 
them to destruction both of body and soul. 

We ask these blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, 
our only Lord and Saviour. 

Our Father, &c. 



FAST DAY.— MORNING. JenTcs. 

Lord God, glorious in holiness, and of purer eyes 
than to behold any iniquity without abhorrence of it, 
and indignation against it ! How shall man, sinful man, 
that drinks in iniquity like water, appear before thee ? 
And how shall we, vile and frail, polluted and depraved 
as we are, show ourselves in the presence of such a great 
and wise, just and holy God, as thou art ? When we 
look upon thy perfect law, and see what we should be, 
what manner of persons, in all holy conversation and 
godliness ; and when we reflect on our own hearts and 
lives, and find what we are ; how wanting in our duty, 
and how contrary to that holy rule which thou dost pre- 
scribe to us, by which to keep our hearts and to order 
our conversation ; we cannot come into thy presence, 
Lord, without confusion of face, and anguish of soul, and 
remorse of conscience, to think how foolishly and wick- 
edly we have done ; and how abject and wretched we 
have made ourselves. 

We have not glorified thee, Lord, in bearing fruits 
of holiness answerable to thy revealed will, and to thy 
love ; but we desire to give glory to God, in confessing 
our sins, and humbling our souls, and acknowledging 
our desert of all thy judgments ; and admiring and mag- 
nifying the riches of that grace and mercy, which has 
spared us so long a time, and showed us such marvellous 
kindness still, notwithstanding all the high provocations 
of our sins. With thee, our God, there is mercy, that 
thou mayest be feared ; that our sins, though great and 
manifold, may be pardoned ; and that our souls may be 
recovered and healed, and eternally saved : help us 



234 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

SO to judge ourselves, that we may not be judged of the 
Lord, to be condemned with the world ; and so to lay 
our sins to heart, that thou mayest never lay them to 
our charge, but upon the account of thy Son our Saviour ; 
whom thou hast given to be the propitiation for our sins ; 
and in whom thou art a Grod gracious and merciful to 
poor sinners ; that deserve nothing at all from thee, but 
to be forsaken and abhorred by thee. For his sake, 
God ! give us repentance and pardon for all that is past, 
wherein we have offended thee ; whether they be our 
sins of omission or commission ; sins of weakness or 
wilfulness ; failings or presumptions ; the sins of igno- 
rance, or such as we have committed against light and 
knowledge ; gracious Lord, humble us duly under the 
sense of them, and absolve us thoroughly from the guilt 
of them. set our sins in order before us, and make 
us to know our transgressions, and the evil of our own 
hearts ; and every one of us so to search and try our 
ways, that we may turn to the Lord, and bring forth 
fruits meet for repentance ; and not only loathe ourselves 
in our own sight, for the evils whereof we have been 
guilty ; but also loathe, as much as ever we have loved, 
the things which displease thy holy will, and dishonour 
thy blessed name. that we may forsake our sins, not 
only in the outward commission, but in the inward affec- 
tion ; not reserving to ourselves any sin or lust to be 
spared, nor any way of wickedness, wherein we would 
be allowed ; but keeping at that distance which thy holy 
word teaches to keep, from every evil and accursed 
thing, that is abomination in thy sight, and destructive 
to our souls ; and cleansing ourselves from all filthiness 
of flesh and spirit, endeavouring to perfect holiness in 
the fear of God. 

pour out a spirit of serious repentance and reforma- 
tion upon the whole nation ; to heal the distempers of 
our souls, to curb the disorders of our lives, and to reco- 
ver the decayed power of godliness in the land ; and so 
prepare and dispose us not only for thy temporal mer- 
cies, but for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 235 

eternal life. Help us so to turn from the evil of our 
ways, that thou mayest turn from the fierceness of thy 
wrath, and cause thy anger towards us to cease. that 
we may fear the rod, and who has appointed it ! And so 
prepare to meet thee, our God, in the way of thy judg- 
ments, that the God of peace may think thoughts of 
peace to us, and not of evil ; and to give us an unex- 
pected end, and the desired issue, of all our fears and 
dangers. 

Thou canst show us great and mighty things, which 
we know not, and exceed all our expectations, as well as 
our deservings, by thy bountiful favours : and though 
thou mightest make us know the worth of slighted mer- 
cies by their want, and deprive us of all the good which 
we have so little improved, and so greatly abused : yet, 
how many promises of thy word, and what frequent 
experience, which we have had of thy mercy, in time of 
our need, do encourage us still with hope to look unto 
thee, our God, and to wait for the salvation of the Lord ! 
how long, in all our provocations, hast thou spared us ! 
And how often, in our distresses, sent wonderful redemp- 
tion to us ! And to thee, who hast helped and delivered, 
in time past, do we look still for help and deliverance. 
0, our God, be thou pleased to help and deliver us, for 
the glory of that mercy which first made us thy people, 
and still has owned us for thy peculiar care. do not 
abhor us, nor forsake us, for thy name's sake ; but be 
jealous for thy land, and pity thy people. Turn us 
again, Lord God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine, 
and we shall be saved. 

Either in mercy turn away the evils from us ; or pre- 
pare us for them, and support us under them, and bring 
us happily out of them ; that we may not sink and 
perish in them, but find spiritual good, by temporal evils ; 
and find the light momentary afSictions to work for us 
a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory ; and 
all things concurring to promote our grace and our 
peace with God, through Jesus Christ. And though 
thou shouldst feed us with bread of adversity, and water 



236 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

of affliction, yet let not our teachers be removed ; nor 
bring us under a famine of the word of the Lord ; nor 
give us over to the formality of a lifeless profession ; 
under all the means of grace, to send leanness into our 
soul. Though thou permit the floods and storms to arise 
and increase, yet fortify us so by thy grace, that we 
may not be moved by any of those afflictions, so as to 
turn the blessed advantage of suffering for thee into an 
occasion of falling from thee. 

help us. Lord, to rid our hands and our hearts of 
all the accursed things that provoke thy wrath and in- 
dignation against us. And let us wisely consider of thy 
doings, and know the time of our visitation, and hearken 
to the calls, and take the warnings, and improve the 
means and mercies vouchsafed to us, while we have them ; 
and follow the conduct of thy good providence, and 
comply with all thy gracious methods used to reclaim us 
from our sins, and to reform our lives, and save our 
souls ; that all may not be in vain to us, but at least 
effect the purpose of thy saving mercy upon us ; to de- 
liver us from the evils to come, and to set us safe into 
the hands of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour. 
Amen. 



FAST DAY.— EVENING. Jay. 

God, thou hast established thy throne in the 
heavens, and thy kingdom ruleth over all. We prostrate 
ourselves before thee, deeply impressed with a sense of 
the vastness of thy agency and dominion. Thou changest 
the times and the seasons ; thou removest kings, and 
settest up kings. Empires rise and fall, and fade and 
flourish, at thy bidding : and all nations are in thy hand, 
but as clay in the hand of the potter. 

But none of thy dispensations are arbitrary. What- 
ever thou doest, is done because, Father, it seemeth 
good in thy sight ; and thy judgment is always accord- 
ing to truth. Thou art holy in all thy ways, and right- 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 237 

eous in all thy works — and thou art good ; even in wrath 
thou rememberest mercy, and dost not afflict willingly, 
nor grieve the children of men. 

Therefore it is, that we have been this day humbling 
ourselves in thy presence. 

For we acknowledge that we have been deeply guilty. 
Thou hast nourished and brought up children, but we 
have rebelled against thee. The ox knoweth his owner, 
and the ass his master's crib ; but we have not known, 
we have not considered. Thou hast given us our corn, 
and wine, and oil, and multiplied our silver and gold ; 
and we have prepared them for Baal. Because of swear- 
ing, the land has mourned. Pride has compassed us 
about as a chain. Discontent has rebelled against thine 
appointments. How has the love of money, which is 
the root of all evil, abounded among us. How have thy 
Sabbaths been profaned, and thy ordinances disregarded. 
How has the gospel been undervalued, neglected, despised. 

And all our transgressions have been more aggravated 
than those of any other people, because thou hast 
favoured us unspeakably more than all the families of 
the earth. 

Therefore thou couldest easily and justly have de- 
stroyed us ; but thou hast not stirred up all thy wrath. 
In all that has come upon us, for our evil deeds, thou 
hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. Yet 
thou hast testified thy displeasure, and visited us with 
thy judgments ; so that when we looked for light and 
peace, we have seen darkness and trouble. 

0, let us not be inattentive to the design of thy deal- 
ings, or insensible under thy rebukes. 0, let it not be 
said of us as it was of the Jews, the harp, and the viol, 
and the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts, 
but they regard not the word of the Lord, neither con- 
sider the operation of his hand. Thou hast stricken 
them, but they have not grieved ; thou hast consumed 
them, but they have refused to receive correction ; they 
have made their faces harder than the rock ; they have 
refused to return. 



238 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

In the way of thy judgments, Lord, may we wait 
for thee. Thou hast said, Is any afflicted ? let him pray. 
Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver 
thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Fulfil the word unto 
thy servants, upon which thou hast caused us to hope. 
And 0, let not the calamity be removed only, but above 
all, sanctified ; let it appear that we have heard the rod, 
and him that appointeth it : and be able to say, It is 
good for us that we have been afllicted. 

For which purpose, bless, we beseech thee, the word 
of thy grace, which has been spoken ; and grant that 
the professed humiliation of the day may be real — for 
thou lookest to the heart. And let it also be universal ; 
may it extend from the highest to the lowest ; may it 
pervade every part of our country ; may it enter every 
church, and every family — let none of us lose sight of 
ourselves in the public calamity. May each individual 
retire and ask, What have I done, and what wilt thou 
have me to do ? And though other lords have had do- 
minion over us, henceforth, by thee only, may we make 
mention of thy name. 

Regard the government under which we live, and the 
magistracy of the land— may all be wise in counsel, ex- 
emplary in conduct, and faithful to their trust. 

And thus may we be reformed, and not destroyed. 
Thus may we be a holy, that we may be a happy people, 
whose God is the Lord. Eeturn, Lord, how long ? 
and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. 0, 
satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and 
be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the 
days wherein thou hast afilicted us, and the years where- 
in we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy 
servants ; and thy glory unto their children. And let 
the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us ; and es- 
tablish thou the work of our hands upon us ; yea, the 
work of our hands, establish thou it. 

And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be 
rendered the kingdom, power, and glory, for ever and 
ever. Amen. 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 239 



IN TIME OF PESTILENCE. Jenks, 

Lord God, the giver of our health, it is only of thy 
mercy that we have so much health continued, after the 
manner in which we have lived. And how just were 
it with thee, utterly to take away that health from us 
which we have so greatly abused to a forgetfulness of 
thee, and wantonness against thee ! How justly might- 
est thou smite us with the most sharp and noisome dis- 
eases, which our nature most abhorreth : to hurry us out 
of the land of the living, and put a sorrowful end to our 
wretched days ! Our flesh trembles for fear of thee, and 
we are afraid of thy judgments, lest thou shouldst strike 
into us the arrows of the Almighty, for the poison there- 
of to drink up our spirits : lest thou shouldst give unto 
death a command to come in at our doors, and sweep us 
away with the besom of destruction. But, thou Hope 
of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble ! regard 
not our ill deserts ; but remember thy own tender mer- 
cies, and gracious promises ; and take pity on us, and 
turn away this plague from us. Put a stop to the rag- 
ing pestilence, and say to the destroying angel. It is 
enough. That so we may not be afraid of the terror by 
night, nor for the arrow that flies by day ; nor for the 
pestilence that walketh in darkness ; nor for the destruc- 
tion that wasteth at noon day : but with calmness in our 
minds, and gladness in our hearts, may serve thee faith- 
fully and cheerfully all our days : and devote our spared 
lives, which we have begged at thy hands, and our 
health and every mercy, to thy honour and glory; 
through the strength and the righteousness of thy dear 
Son, our most compassionate and prevailing Mediator, 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 



FOR RAIN. Jenks, 

We confess, Lord, that we have so greatly abused 
the comforts of thy good creatures, that thou mightest 



240 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

justly withdraw them from us, and make the heavens 
over us as brass, and the rain of our land dust, and the 
land itself to mourn, and all that grows upon it to wither. 
But thou Father of mercies, who in judgment remem- 
berest mercy, consult not now our merits, but thy own 
mercies, how to use us. Thou that hast the bottles and 
treasures of heaven at thy command, be pleased now to 
open the windows of heaven, and cause the rain to come 
down in its season ; making grass to grow for the cattle, 
and herbs and fruits of the earth for the service of men. 
And however thou art pleased to deal with us, sup- 
press all our repinings at any of thy dealings : and let 
them all amend and better us : and make us a people 
prepared to receive the mercies which we want, and wait 
and beg for, at thy gracious hands, ux)on the account of 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 



FOR FAIR WEATHER. Jenks. 

Lord, if thou shouldst turn a fruitful land into bar- 
renness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein : 
yet righteous wert thou, and just would be thy judg- 
ments ; and we must not open our mouths to reply against 
God ; but bear the indignation of the Lord which our 
sins have so much deserved ; when our iniquities have 
turned away the blessings, and withholden the good 
things from us. But, Father of mercies, spare us, 
and forgive us, for thy own mercy's sake ; and put a stop 
to the calamity that threatens destruction to the works 
of thy hands ; that the rain which is thy blessing may 
not be turned into a curse ; nor descend from heaven to 
corrupt and spoil the fruits of the earth. cause the 
overflowing showers to cease, which damp the joy of the 
harvest, and endanger the blasting of our blessings. 
And as thou hast given us plenty, and caused our land 
to yield its increase, so give us, we pray thee, a season- 
able time to gather in the fruits which thy bounty has 



rOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 241 

provided for us ; that in the use of them we may joyfully 
and cheerfully serve thee ; and not consume them upon 
our lusts, but live to thy glory, as we do upon thy 
bounty. And when thy judgments are in the land, 
that we, who inhabit it, may learn righteousness ! nor let 
our anxieties be so great for our bodies as for our souls ; 
that however we fare here, it may go well with us for- 
ever. let us not labour for the meat that perisheth, 
but for that which endures to everlasting life; which 
everlasting provision for our unchangeable condition, 
above all we beg at thy hands, Lord God our hea- 
venly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ our only 
Saviour. Amen. 



UNDER FAMILY AFFLICTION. Cottenll. 

MORNING OR EVENING. 

ALMiaHTY God, the Father of mercies and the God 
of all consolation, our only help in time of need, we flee 
unto thee for succour in this season of tribulation and 
distress. Out of the deeps we call unto thee, Lord. 
Lord, hear our voice. let thine ears consider well the 
voice of our complaint. 

We acknowledge, God, that for our iniquities we 
are visited, and for our sins are we troubled. We are 
born to trouble as the sparks fly upward, because we 
have been transgressors from the womb. And if thou 
shouldst be extreme to mark what we have done amiss, 
our present sorrows would only be the beginning of 
sorrows which should know no end. Wherefore should 
a living man complain ? a man for the punishment of 
his sins ? 

But thou art gracious and merciful ; full of compas- 
sion and of great goodness. Thou hast not dealt with 
us according to our sins : nor rewarded us according to our 
iniquities. Blessed be thy name, that thou not only hast 
opened unto us a way of escape from the wrath to come, 
11 



242 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

but liast mercifully ordained the sufferings of the pre- 
sent life to work together for good to them that love 
thee. 

Thy wise providence ordereth all things both in hea- 
ven and earth. Not a sparrow falleth to the ground 
without thy knowledge and appointment ; and the very 
hairs of our head are all numbered. Thou assurest us, 
that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children 
of meUj but for their profit, that they may be partakers 
of thy holiness. Whom thou lovest, thou chastenest ; 
and scourgest every son whom thou receivest. 

Thou afflictest us to humble us, and to prove us, and 
to know what is in our hearts ; and whether we will love 
thee, and keep thy commandments, or no. 

Give us grace therefore to consider, in this day of our 
adversity, wherefore thou contendest with us, and art 
wroth. Let us not despise thy chastening, nor faint 
when we are rebuked of thee ; nor be weary of thy cor- 
rection. But let us be still, and know that thou art God. 
In patience enable us to possess our souls. Grant that 
our tribulation may work patience ; and patience expe- 
rience ; and experience hope ; and our hope, let it not 
make ashamed ; but let thy love be shed abroad in our 
hearts, through the Holy Ghost given unto us. Let us 
not cast away our confidence, w^hich hath great recom- 
pense of reward. Though troubled on every side, let us 
not be distressed; though perplexed, let us not be in 
despair ; though cast down, let us not be destroyed. And 
be pleased to cause our light afflictions, which are but for 
a moment, to work out for us a far more exceeding and 
eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the things 
that are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for 
the things which are seen, are temporal ; but the things 
which are not seen, are eternal. Though no chastening 
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous ; yet 
afterwards let it yield the peaceable fruit of righteous- 
ness unto us who are now exercised thereby. Grant 
that we may find it good to be afflicted, and see that 
thou, of very ftiithfulness, hast caused us to be in trouble. 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 243 

And whenever it may please thee to deliver us out of 
the miseries of this sinful world, of thy gracious good- 
ness receive us into that blessed kingdom, where thou 
shalt wipe away all tears from our eyes ; where there 
shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, nei- 
ther shall there be any more pain ; for the former things 
are passed away. 

We beseech thee, also, Lord, to have compassion on 
our brethren and companions in tribulation. 

Have mercy upon all sick persons ; and make all their 
bed in their sickness. Eternal God, be thou their refuge, 
and place underneath them thy everlasting arms. Look 
graciously upon them, Lord ; and the more the out- 
ward man decayeth, strengthen them, we beseech thee, 
so much the more continually, by thy grace and Holy 
Spirit, in the inward man. Give them unfeigned repent- 
ance for all the sins of their past lives, and steadfast 
faith in thy Son Jesus ; that their sins may be done 
away by thy mercy, and their pardon sealed in heaven, 
before they go hence, and are no more seen. 

We commend into thy hands, as into the hands of a 
faithful Creator and most merciful Saviour, the souls of 
those who are departing this life ; most humbly beseech- 
ing thee, that they may be precious in thy sight. Wash 
them, we pray thee, in the blood of that spotless Lamb 
which was slain to take away the sins of the world ; that 
whatsoever defilements they may have contracted in the 
midst of this miserable and wicked world, through the 
lusts of the flesh or the wiles of Satan, being purged and 
done away, they may be presented pure and without spot 
before thee. 

Be gracious also unto thy people who are weeping, 
and refuse to be comforted for the loss of beloved friends 
and relations, departed this life in thy faith and fear. 
Let them not be sorry, as men without hope, for those 
that sleep in thee : but comfort them with the joyful 
expectation, that they shall see each other again at the 
resurrection in the last day. 

May it please thee, likewise, to defend and provide 



244 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

for the fatherless children and widows, and all that are 
desolate and oppressed. 

Andj since many are the afflictions of the righteous, 
Lord, remember them and all their troubles. Regard 
those who are in heaviness through manifold tempta- 
tions. Graciously hear us, that those evils which the 
craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against 
them be brought to nought, and by the providence of 
thy goodness they may be dispersed ; that they, thy ser- 
vants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give 
thanks unto thee, and glorify thy name. 

Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all 
those who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, 
body, or estate. That it may please thee to comfort and 
relieve them, according to their several necessities ; giv- 
ing them patience under their sufferings, and a happy 
issue out of all their afflictions. 

[Hear us, especially, in behalf of thy servant, for whom 
we desire especially to pray. We look up unto thee, O 
thou compassionate Saviour, who wast thyself a man of 
sorrows, and acquainted with grief. thou, who didst 
weep at the tomb of Lazarus, and art still touched with 
the feeling of our infirmities, pitifully behold the sor- 
rows of our hearts, and graciously look upon our afflic- 
tions. thou, who, of old, didst cure all manner of 
sickness, and all manner of disease among the people, be 
gracious unto us. Let not this sickness be unto death ; 
but for the glory of thy name. Speak the word only^ 
and thy servant shall be healed. Have mercy upon 
Am, Lord, have mercy upon Mm; and not on him 
only, but on us also, lest we should have sorrow upon 
sorrow. If it be possible, let this cup pass away from 
us, without our drinking all its bitterness ; but, if not, 
thy will be done. Only be pleased to sanctify this thy 
fatherly correction to Am, that the sense of his weak- 
ness may add strength to his faith, and efficacy to his 
repentance ; that, if it should be thy good pleasure to 
restore him to his former health, he may lead the residue 
of his life in thy fear and to thy glory ; or else give him 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 245 

grace so to take thy visitation, that after this painful life 
is ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting.] 

And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. 

Our Father, &c. 



FOR A SICK CHILD. Jenks, 

God of the spirits of all flesh, the only giver and 
preserver of life in every living soul ; the smallest, as 
well as the greatest, are thy work and thy care ; and 
neither without the compass of thy providence, nor be- 
low the notice and regard of our heavenly Father, who, 
though so great above all, yet despiseth not any ! 
Lord, let thy thoughts be full of pity and tender mercy 
to this poor sick child, for whose afflictions we are now 
concerned ; and send Mm that relief and comfort from 
above, which none of us are able to give. Either lighten 
the load, or increase the strength to bear it ; and deal 
gently and graciously with Mm^ Lord, beyond what 
we are worthy to ask at thy hands, even for thy own 
goodness and mercy's sake. Spare Am, Father of 
mercies, and grant him ease and release from his trou- 
ble ; yea, make haste to deliver Azm, we beseech thee ; 
and in submission to thy will we beg the recovery of Ms 
health, and the continuance of his life, to be spent in 
thy fear, and to thy praise^ that he may continue to do 
thee service, and bring thee glory in his days upon earth. 
But, forasmuch as children themselves, who are shapen 
in iniquity, and conceived in sin, are therefore subject to 
death, if thou art pleased. Lord, to take him away so 
early, let it be in mercy, and prepare him then so for 
thyself, that it may be to him the greatest gain to die ; 
that he may not only be delivered from the miseries and 
dangers of this world, and that to come, but may be 
made ripe and ready for heaven and eternal glory, 
through the infinite satisfaction and merits of thy beloved 
Son, our compassionate Saviour, Avho so kindly embraced 
blessed young children, and ever lives at thy right hand 



246 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

to intercede for young and old ; the only prevailing ad- 
vocate for us all. And to thy mercy in him, most 
gracious God, we commend this afflicted child, beseech- 
ing thee to deal well by Mm^ and be good and kind to 
him; and out of the riches of thy grace, provide and do 
abundantly, as thou knowest best for him^ in life and 
death, and for evermore. Amen. 



UNDER DANGEROUS SICKNESS. Jenks. 

Lord God Almighty, in whom we all ever live, 
and move and are ; we acknowledge it to be of thy mer- 
cy we are not consumed, because thy compassions fail 
not. If thou hadst, long before this time, cut us off in 
our sins, and shut us up under final despair of thy mer- 
cies, yet righteous hadst thou been, Lord ; and justly 
mightest thou now refuse to hear us calling upon thee in 
our prayers, as we so often have refused to hear thee 
calling upon us by the motions of thy Holy Spirit. But 
thou art God, and not man ; and thy thoughts are not as 
our thoughts, nor thy ways as our ways; but as the 
heavens are higher than the earth, so are thy thoughts 
and thy ways above ours. Thou art our refuge and 
strength, a present help in time of trouble. 

And now we come to thee, Lord our God, in behalf 
of this thy servant, that lies here in a low and distressed 
state, under thy chastening hand. Look down, we be- 
seech thee, mercifully upon him; and be thou gracious 
and favourable to Am, according to the multitude of thy 
tender mercies in Christ Jesus. If thou but speak the 
word, he will be healed. — And in submission to thy most 
wise and good disposal of all things, we would beg this 
mercy at thy hands, that thou wouldst be pleased to 
rebuke his distemper, to remove thy stroke, and cause 
the bitter cup which thou hast given him to pass away 
from Am, and make him a way to escape out of the 
affliction that is upon him ; and to this end, that thou 
wouldst direct to the means proper for his help, and 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 247 

command a blessing upon tliem to promote Ms recovery. 
Spare him, good Lord, and restore him, if it be thy will, 
that he may have a long time to work out his salvation, 
and be more useful in his place, and do more good in his 
generation ; or however thou shalt be pleased to deal with 
him as to the concerns of his body, which we pray may 
be in a way of gentleness and tender mercy ; yet Lord, 
let his soul be ever precious in thy sight ; and may this 
sickness be for the health of that immortal better part, 
to promote his salvation everlasting. 

give him a right discerning of the things belonging 
to his peace, before they be hid from his eyes ; show 
him what he is to do ; enable him for the doing of it, 
that he may have the sound peace with God, through 
Jesus Christ; give Am the true repentance towards 
God, and the right faith in the only Saviour of the 
world ; wash and cleanse his soul with the blood of thy 
Son, and the graces of thy Spirit, that it may be deli- 
vered from all defilements it has contracted in this pre- 
sent evil world, and be found safe and happy in the hour 
of death, and in the great day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Fit him, Lord, for living or dying, whatever in thy 
wise and righteous providence thou hast designed for 
him, that it may be unto him Christ to live, and gain to 
die, that in all he may find cause to glorify thy name, 
still experiencing thy gracious goodness to him in the 
Son of thy love : if thou shalt please yet to release him 
from his bed of languishing, to live longer upon earth, 
that he may live to thee in thy fear, and to thy praise, 
and do thee better service, and bring thee greater glory ; 
or, if thou hast determined that this sickness shall be a 
sickness unto death, and this visitation his last visitation, 
prepare him, merciful God, by thy grace, for thy 
blessed self ; and grant him a safe and comfortable pas- 
sage out of this wretched life, to an infinitely better, 
through the merits and mediation of thy beloved Son, 
our only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen, 



248 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 



FOR ONE DYING. Jenks, 

THE hope of Israel, and the Saviour thereof in time 
of trouble ! when all other hope and help fail, it is not 
in vain to seek unto thee for succour, who canst bring 
back from the mouth of the grave, and where thou art 
not pleased any further to prolong the temporal life, yet 
canst deliver from eternal death, and bring safe to the 
blessed life everlasting. We beg the recovery of thy 
servant, Lord, now that he seems to us going the 
way of all flesh, and launching forth into his everlasting 
condition. 

Lord our God, leave Mm not, nor forsake him^ but 
support and assist him now in his sorest extremities, in 
his last agonies, when he is to conflict with the king of 
terrors ; let him find the most sweet and seasonable aids 
from the Almighty Grod of his salvation, and take Am 
not out of this life till thou hast fitted him for a better. 
thou ever living God, stand by him in the dying hour, 
and secure him in thy hands from the enemies of his 
soul, and finish all that is wanting of the work of thy 
grace upon his heart. Freely and fully pardon and de- 
liver him from all his sins, and fit him to appear with 
comfort and rejoicing in thy blessed presence. make 
his departure easy, and full of peace and hope ; carry 
him safe through the dark passage, upon which he is 
entering, and let him find it the gate of glory, and a 
door opened into the everlasting kingdom and joy of his 
Lord. Into thy hands we commend his spirit. thou 
Father of mercies, be merciful to Azm, and receive his 
departing soul; and when he is numbered among the 
dead, let him also be numbered among the redeemed 
and blessed of the Lord, for his sake who himself died 
for sinners, and rose again, and lives, and is alive for 
ever more, and has the keys of death and hell. To thy 
mercy, in that blest Saviour of the world, most mer- 
ciful Father, we now humbly commend him ; beseeching 
thee to be all in all to him^ and infinitely better than 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 249 

we are worthy or able to ask for him ; and let Mm be 
thine in life and death, and for ever more, through the 
all-sufficient mediation of thy dear Son, our prevailing 
Advocate and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. 



THE EVENING AFTER A FUNERAL. Jay. 

THOU Father of mercies, and God of all comfort. 
Thou hast often invited us to thyself, by kindness ; and 
it manifests our depravity, that we think of thee so little 
in the hour of ease and prosperity. But we are now 
before thee in affliction and distress. Yet we rejoice to 
know, that thou art a very present, and an all-sufficient 
help in trouble. 

Thou takest away, and who can hinder thee, or say 
unto thee. What doest thou ? Thou hast a right to do 
what thou wilt with thine own. Thou art a Sovereign, 
and the reasons of thy conduct are often far above, out 
of our sight ; but thy work is perfect, thy ways are judg- 
ment. AH thy dispensations are wise, and righteous, 
and kind — kind, even when they seem to be severe. 

May we hear thy voice in thy rod, as well as in thy 
word : and gathering, from the corrections with which 
we are exercised, the peaceable fruit of righteousness, 
be able to acknowledge, with all our suffering brethren 
before us. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. 

It is not the Scripture only that reminds us of our 
living in a dying world, but all observation and experi- 
ence. Man is continually going to his long home, and 
the mourners daily go about the streets. And we are 
all accomplishing, as an hireling, our day ; and in a little 
time our neighbours, friends, and relations, will seek us 
— and we shall not be. Our days are swifter than a 
weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope. Thou 
hast made our days as an hand's breadth, and our age is 
as nothing before thee : verily, every man at his best 
state is altogether vanity. For our days are not only 
few, but full of evil. Anxieties perplex us; dangers 
11* 



250 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

alarm us ; infirmities oppress us ; disappointments afflict 
us ; losses impoverish us — we are consumed by thine 
anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled. 0, shut not 
thy merciful ear to our prayers ; but spare us, Lord, 
most holy ; God, most mighty ; holy and most mer- 
ciful Saviour ; thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer 
us not, at our last hour, for any bitter pains of death, 
to fall from thee. 

We acknowledge, God, with shame and sorrow, that 
the state of degradation and mortality in which we groan, 
was not our original condition. Thou madest man up- 
right; but he sought out many inventions. By one 
man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin ; and 
so death hath passed upon all men, for that all have 
sinned. 

And we bless thee that this is not our final state. By 
the discoveries of faith, we see new heavens, and a new 
earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. We see the 
spirits of just men made perfect. We see our vile bodies 
changed, and fashioned like the Saviour's own glorious 
body; and man, the sinner, raised above the angels, 
who never sinned. 

We bless thee for this purpose of grace, formed be- 
fore the world began, and accomplished in the fulness 
of time, by the Son of thy love, who hath abolished 
death, and brought life and immortality to light by the 
gospel ; and who among the ravages of the grave, says, 
I am the resurrection, and the life ; he that believeth in 
me, though he were dead, yet shall he live ; and whoso- 
ever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. 

So teach us to number our days that we may apply 
our hearts unto wisdom — that wisdom which will lead 
us to prefer the soul to the body, and eternity to time ; 
that wisdom which will lead us to secure an interest in 
a better world, before we are removed from this. 

let not the trifles of time induce us to neglect the 
one thing needful. While each of us is compelled to 
say, I know thou wilt bring me to death, and to the 
house appointed for all living, may we be enabled also 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 251 

to say, I know wliom I have believed, and am persuaded 
that he is able to keep that which I have committed to 
him against that day. 

And, 0, let not the solemnities we have this day wit- 
nessed, be ever forgotten ; for often, our most serious 
impressions have worn off, and our goodness has been 
as the morning cloud and early dew that soon passeth 
away. 

Thou hast permitted death to invade our circle, and 
hast turned our dwelling into a house of mourning. May 
we find that it is better to be in the house of mourning 
than in the house of mirth. By the sadness of the 
countenance may the heart be made better, more serious 
to reflect, and more softened to take impression. 

With the feelings of the creature, may we blend the 
views and the hopes of the Christian. May we remem- 
ber that thou hast bereaved us, resuming what was lent 
us for a season, but never ceased to be thine own. 
May we, therefore, be dumb, and open not our mouth, 
because thou hast done it ; or if we speak, may it be to 
acknowledge and pray — I know, Lord, that thy judg- 
ments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast 
afl[licted me ; let thy loving-kindness be for my comfort, 
according to thy word unto thy servant. 

Now, unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, 
and to present us faultless before the presence of his 
glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our 
Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 
both now and ever. Amen. 



MOURNING FOR THE LOSS OF RELATIVES AND 

FRIENDS. Smith. 

THOU who art our great Creator, and, by thy good 
hand upon us, still our merciful Preserver, may we at 
this time approach the footstool of thy throne, with thy 
divine forgiveness and gracious acceptance. To whom 
can we go but unto thee, who art the Father of lights, 



252 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

and fountain of every blessing ; and who hast said in 
thy Holy Scriptures, ^' Call upon me in the day of 
trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.'' 
In this word, God, we find it written, "It is better 
to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house 
of feasting ; for that is the end of all men, and the liv- 
ing will lay it to his heart." 

By thy wise and special appointment, our deceased 
T)rother] [sister] is cut off from the land of the living ; 
"his] [her] body returns to the earth out of which it was 
taken, and [his] [her] spirit hath returned to thee, who 
gave it. We would desire upon this, as upon every oc- 
casion, to submit ourselves to God ; saying, " The will 
of the Lord be done." Be pleased to grant, thou 
Author of every good and perfect gift ! grant, that we 
may be enabled to say, with the same resignation as thy 
servant of old : " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." 

Blessed Jesus, thou hast said, " I am the resurrection 
and the life. He that believeth in me, though he were 
dead, yet shall he live." And, heavenly Father, help 
us all to extend our views forward to that day when thou 
shalt redeem our souls from the power of the grave ; 
and when these bodies, which are sown in corruption, 
dishonour, and weakness, shall be raised in incorruption, 
glory, and power ; and that saying be brought to pass — 
" Death is swallowed up in victory." In this important 
and interesting day, when the world shall be judged in 
righteousness by that Immanuel whom God the Father 
hath appointed, may we, and all our deceased friends, 
appear clothed with his righteousness, and hear him 
pronounce, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the 
world." 

Knowing these things, may we be enabled, God, to 
comfort ourselves together, and edify one another, ever 
reckoning that " the sufferings of this present time are 
not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be 
revealed in us ;" nay, assured " that our light affliction, 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 253 

which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 

Now, unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, 
and to present us faultless before the presence of hia 
glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Sa- 
viour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both 
now and ever. Amen. 



SPRING. Jay. 

Thou art the fountain of life ; in thee we live, move, 
and have our being — and the prerogative of that being 
is, that we are able to contemplate thy perfections, and 
rise from thy works — to thyself. 

Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, and renewest the face 
of the earth ; and, from apparent death, all nature starts 
into reanimated vigour and joy. In what myriads of 
productions art thou displaying afresh, the wonders of 
thy wisdom, power, and goodness — the whole earth is 
full of thy riches. 

While we partake of the general sympathy and delight, 
may we join with all thy works to praise thee. And, 
thou God of all grace, bless us with the renewing of the 
Holy Ghost, in all the powers of our souls. May old 
things pass away, and all become new in Christ ; may 
the beauty of the Lord be upon us ; and the joy of the 
Lord be our strength. 

May the young remember, that they are now in the 
spring of life ; and that this spring, once gone, returns 
no more. May they, therefore, eagerly seize, and zeal- 
ously improve, the short, but all-important season, for 
the cultivation of their minds, the formation of their 
habits, the correction of their tempers, their preparation 
for future usefulness, and their gaining that good part 
which shall not be taken away from them. 



254 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 



SUMMER. Jay, 

We hail Thee in the varying aspects of the year, and 
bless Thee for all their appropriate influences and advan- 
tages. 0, let us not view them and enjoy them as men 
only, but as Christians also ; and ever connect with 
them, the better blessings of thy grace. 

How wise, and useful, and necessary, are these inter- 
mingled rains and sunbeams — may Jesus, as the Sun of 
Righteousness, arise upon us, with healing under his 
wings ; and may he come down as rain upon the mown 
grass, and as showers that water the earth. 

When we walk by the cooling brook — may we think 
of that river, the streams whereof make glad the city 
of God. 

When we retire from the scorching warmth of the 
day, into the inviting shade — may we be thankful for a 
rest at noon, a shelter from the heat, the shadow of a 
great rock in a weary land. 

May thy servants behold the moral fields, that are 
already white unto harvest, and be all anxiety to save 
the multitudes that are perishing for lack of knowledge. 

The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few ; 
we therefore pray, that Thou wilt send forth labourers 
into thy harvest. 

He that gathereth in summer, is a wise son ; he that 
sleepeth in harvest, is a son that causeth shame. Now 
is our accepted time, now is our day of salvation. 0, let 
us not waste our precious privileges, and in a dying hour 
exclaim — The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and 
we are not saved. 



AUTUMN. Jay. 

How fleeting as well as varying are the seasons of the 
year ! How insensibly have the months of spring and 
summer vanished ! and nature has no sooner attained its 
maturities, than we behold its declension and decay. 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 255 

The fields are now shorn of their produce ; the beauties 
of the garden are withered; the woods are changing 
their verdure, and the trees shedding their foliage — we 
also never continue in one state. Many of our con- 
nexions and comforts have already dropped away from 
us ; and the remaining are holden by a slender tenure ; 
while we ourselves do all fade as a leaf, and in a little 
time, our places will know us no more. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, for the announcement of an inheritance that 
fadeth not away. for a hope full of immortality ! for 
a possession of that good part, which shall not be taken 
away from us ! 



WINTER. Jay. 

Thou God of nature and providence ; manifold are 
thy works ; in wisdom thou hast made them all ; and all 
are full of thy goodness. The welfare of thy creatures 
requires the severity of winter as well as the pleasures 
of spring. We adore thy hand in all. Thou givest snow 
like wool : thou scatterest the hoar frost like ashes. 
Thou sendest abroad thine ice like morsels : who can 
stand before thy cold ? 

But we bless thee, for a house to shelter us ; for rai- 
ment to cover us ; for fuel to warm us ; and all the 
accommodations, that render life, even at this inclement 
season, not only tolerable, but full of comfort. 

May we be grateful ; and may we be pitiful. May we 
reflect on the condition of those who are the victims of 
every kind of privation and distress — and waste nothing ; 
hoard nothing ; but hasten to be ministers of mercy, and 
the disciples of Him, who went abroad, doing good. 

0, let the rich, now^ deservedly prize their wealth, 
and use it as the instrument of usefulness. May they 
be willing to communicate, and ready to distribute ; and 
enjoy the blessing of him that is ready to perish ; and 
make the widow's heart to sing for joy. 



256 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING. Jay. 

MORNING. 

God, thou art very great — thou art clothed with 
honour and majesty ; thou cover est thyself with light 
as with a garment ; thou walkest upon the wings of the 
wind. When we reflect on the glory of thy majesty, we 
are filled with wonder at the vastness of thy condescen- 
sion. For thou condescendest even to behold things that 
are in heaven. What, then, is man, that thou art mind- 
ful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him ? 

We rejoice, that we are under the governance of a 
Being, who is not only Almighty, but perfectly right- 
eous, and wise, and good ; that all things, in our world, 
are appointed and arranged by thy paternal agency ; 
that thy providence numbers the very hairs of our head, 
and that a sparrow falleth not to the ground, without 
our heavenly Father. 

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. We bless thee for 
personal mercies. If we are called, it is by thy word. 
If we are renewed, it is by thy Spirit. If we are justi- 
fied, it is freely by thy grace through the redemption 
that is in Christ Jesus. It is in thee we live, and move, 
and have our being. Thy goodness has been always 
near us, to hear our complaints, to soothe our sorrow, 
and to command deliverance for us. And numberless 
are the instances of loving-kindness, that now, from 
ignorance, or inattention, elude our notice ; the disco- 
very of which will awaken our songs, when we mingle 
with those who dwell in thy house above, and are still 
praising thee. 

We thank thee for relative benefits ; for blessings on 
our families, blessings on our churches, and blessings on 
our country. We confess that we are not worthy of the 
least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou 
hast showed unto thy servants. Sins of every kind and 
of every degree, have reigned among us ; have spread 
through all ranks and orders ; and continued, notwith- 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 257 

standing all warnings and corrections ; and if thou hadst 
dealt with us after our sins, or rewarded us according 
to our iniquities, we should long ago have had no name 
or place among the nations of the globe. 

But to the Lord, our God, belong mercies and for- 
givenesses, though we have rebelled against him. All 
thy dispensations towards us have said, with a tender- 
ness that ought to penetrate our hearts — How shall I 
give thee up ! Our privileges, never properly improved, 
and forfeited times without number, have been con- 
tinued. We still behold our Sabbaths, and our ears 
still hear the joyful sound. Our constitution, liberties, 
and laws, have not been subverted, or impaired. Thou 
hast given us rains, and fruitful seasons ; thou hast filled 
us with the finest of the wheat ; our garners have been 
afi*ording all manner of store. Thou hast spread thy 
wing, and sheltered us from the pestilence that walketh 
in darkness, and the destruction that wasteth at noon- 
day. Civil discord has not raged in our land; our 
shores have not been invaded ; we have not heard the 
confused noise of warriors, nor seen garments rolled in 
blood — it has not come nigh us. Our enemies have 
often threatened to swallow us up, but the Lord has 
been on our side, and they have not prevailed against 
us. We are this day called upon to acknowledge thy 

goodness in ( ). [Here let the particular causes for 

thankfulness be expressed.] 

May we never convert our blessings into instruments 
of provocation, by making them the means of nourish- 
ing pride and presumption, wantonness and intemper- 
ance ; and compel thee to complain — Do ye thus requite 
the Lord, foolish people, and unwise? Is not he thy 
Father, that hath bought thee? Hath he not made 
thee, and established thee ? 

For this purpose meet with us in thy house ; and may 
the goings of our God and our King be seen in the sanc- 
tuary. Be with the preacher, and with the hearers ; and 
let the words of his mouth, and the meditation of their 
hearts be acceptable in thy sight, Lord, our strength, 



258 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

and our Redeemer. May public instruction awaken the 
ardour of our feelings : May our gratitude not only be 
lively, but practical and permanent. And by all thy 
mercies, may we present our bodies a living sacrifice, 
holy a,nd acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable 
service. 

Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, 
that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice 
of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts ; ye 
ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, 
all his works, in all places of his dominion ; bless the 
Lord, my soul. Amen. 



FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING. Jay. 

EVENING. 

God, thou art good, and doest good. Thou art 
good to all, and thy tender mercies are over all thy 
works. 

We have thought of thy loving-kindness this day, in 
the midst of thy temple ; and are again surrounding this 
domestic altar, to exclaim, that men would praise the 
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to 
the children of men. 

We lament to think, that a world so filled with thy 
bounty, should be so alienated from thy service and 
glory. We mourn over the vileness of our ingratitude, 
and abhor ourselves, repenting in dust and ashes. 

thou God of all grace, make us more thankful. In 
order that we may be more thankful, may we be more 
humble ; impress us with a deep sense of our unworthi- 
ness, arising from the depravity of our nature, and 
countless instances of unimproved advantages, omitted 
duties, and violated commands. May we compare our 
condition with our desert, and with the far less indulged 
circumstances of others. May we never be inattentive 
to any of thy interpositions on our behalf : but be wise, 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 259 

and observe these things, that we may understand the 
loving-kindness of the Lord. 

How many blessings, temporal and spiritual, public 
and private, hast thou conferred upon us ! Thy mercies 
have been new every morning, and every moment. 

Our afflictions have been few and alleviated, often 
short in their continuance, and always founded in a re- 
gard to our profit. Thy secret has been upon our taber- 
nacle ; and we have known thee in thy palaces for a 
refuge. The lines have indeed fallen to us in pleasant 
places, yea, we have a goodly heritage. Thou hast not 
dealt so with any people. It is a good land, which the 
Lord our God has given us — a land distinguished by 
knowledge ; dignified as the abode of civil and religious 
freedom ; endeared by the patriot's zeal, and the ashes 
of our forefathers ; a land the Lord careth for, and upon 
which his eye has been from the beginning even to the 
end of the year. 

Thou hast been a wall of fire round about us, by thy 
providential protection, and the glory in the midst of 
us, by the gospel of our salvation, the ordinances of re- 
ligion, and the presence of thy Holy Spirit. 

What shall we render unto the Lord for all his bene- 
fits towards us? Because thou hast been our help, 
therefore under the shadow of thy wing may we rejoice. 
Because thou hast heard our voice and our supplication, 
therefore may we call upon thee as long as we live ; 
and in every future difficulty and distress, make thee 
our refuge and our portion. 

Enable us to bless thee at all times ; may thy praise 
continually be in our mouth ; and may we show forth 
thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives. 

Being delivered from the peril and calamity of ( ) 

with which we have been exercised, may we serve thee 
without fear, in holiness and righteousness all the days 
of our lives. 

We dare not trust our own hearts. We have often 
resembled thy people of old, who, in the hour of deliver- 
ance and indulgence, sang thy praise, and said — All 



260 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

that the Lord commandeth us, will we do ; but soon 
forgot his works and the wonders which he had showed 
them. Keep these things for ever in the imagination 
of our hearts ; and not only draw us, but bind us to 
thyself, with the cords of love, and the bonds of a man. 

And with all our calls to gratitude and joy, may we 
remember that we have also reason for sorrow and hu- 
miliation. give us that repentance which is unto life. 
Reform, as well as indulge us ; and pardon, as well as 
spare. Let not our prosperity destroy us, nor our table 
become a snare. Let us not, by our perverse returns, 
provoke thee to visit us with heavier afflictions; and 
turn the rod into a scorpion. May our ways please the 
Lord, that we may hope for continuance of thy favour, 
and know that all things shall work together for our 
good. 

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion. Build thou 
the walls of Jerusalem. And as the churches have rest, 
may they walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the com- 
forts of the Holy Ghost, and be multiplied. 

Preside over our national councils ; impart wisdom to 
those who conduct our public affairs ; and may all the 
various classes in the community pursue that righteous- 
ness which exalteth a nation, and forsake that sin which 
is a reproach to any people. 

Regard the services in which we have been engaged 
with the thousands of our Israel ; accept of the poor and 
imperfect thanksgivings we have offered ; and let thy 
word which has been dispensed, in aid of the devotion 
of the day, accomplish all the good pleasure of thy 
goodness — through Jesus the Lord, our righteousness 
and strength ; and in whose words we address thee, as 

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy 
name ; thy kingdom come ; thy will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven ; give us this day our daily bread ; 
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that 
trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation ; 
but deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, the 
power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 



FOR PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 261 



FOR RAIN AFTER A DROUGHT. Jay, 

Thou hast never left thyself without witness, but hast 
been continually doing good, even for the unthankful 
and unworthy, in giving them rain from heaven, and 
fruitful seasons, and filling their hearts with joy and 
gladness. We acknowledge that the heavens over us 
might have been brass, and the earth under us iron. 
We have justly deserved the calamity ; and thy power, 
without a miracle, could have inflicted it ; but though 
thou hast tried our patience and awakened our fears, 
thou hast not forgotten to be gracious. We praise thee 
for sending us the seasonable and plentiful rain, by 
which thou hast refreshed and revived the drooping 
fields, so that the earth promises to yield her increase. 



FOR FAIR WEATHER AFTER RAIN. Jay. 

God, thou art good and doest good. Thou hast 
again surpassed our deserts, and been better to us than 
our fears. Thou hast caused the clear shining after rain ; 
so that in the meadows the hay appeareth ; and in the 
fields, thou art preparing of thy goodness for the poor. 
Thou preservest man and beast. May we feel our entire 
dependence upon thee ; and by prayer and praise, give 
thee the glory that is due unto thy holy name. 



FOR A GOOD HARVEST. Jay. 

Again thou hast crowned the year with thy goodness. 
The grain might have perished in the earth, or have 
failed of maturity, for want of the showers, and of the 
sunshine ; but thou hast pleased to bless the springing 
thereof; and we saw first the blade, then the ear, and 
after that the full corn in the ear. We hailed the val- 
leys standing thick with corn, and heard the little hills 



262 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 

rejoicing on every side. In due time the mower filled 
his hands, and the binder of sheaves his bosom ; and 
the appointed weeks of harvest have been aiforded us to 
gather in the precious produce. that men would 
praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful 
works to the children of men ! For he satisfieth the 
longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. 

We have again witnessed thy faithfulness and truth 
in the promise — while the earth remaineth, seed time 
and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, 
and day and night, shall not cease — may we learn to 
trust thee in all thy engagements. 

And make us thankful, that, as we have no famine of 
bread, so we have no famine of hearing the word of the 
Lord. With regard to the soul, as well as to the body, 
Thou fiUest us with the finest of the wheat. 



FOR THE RESTORATION OF PLENTY. Jenks. 

God, the Fountain of all goodness ! thou didst 
threaten with famine to destroy the blessings of the 
earth, which we have so wickedly abused ; but remem- 
bering thy own tender mercies, and not our ill deserts, 
hast raised a new and plentiful supply for us. And now 
thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths 
drop fatness. Thou hast loaded the earth with the fruits 
of thy bounty, and sent abundance of all good things for 
the service and comfort of man. make us more sen- 
sible of the obligation which thy love has laid upon us. 
And as thou fiUest us with thy good things, so fill our 
hearts with thy love and grace, to use every gift aright 
to thy glory ; that in the use and strength of what we 
are continually receiving from thee, we may devote our- 
selves to live unto thee, and to serve thee with gladness 
and rejoicing for all thy rich mercy to us in Jesus 
Christ. 



kuA PARTICULAR OCCASIONS. 263 



FOR A SAFE RETURN FROM A JOURNEY. Jay. 

As the Keeper of Israel, Thou hast been with us, not 
only in the house, but by the way. We might have 
been injured by wicked and unreasonable men. We 
might have been left groaning under the pain of bruised 
or fractured limbs. Our lives might have been spilt, 
like water on the ground, which cannot be gathered up 
again ; and the first tidings that reached our friends, 
might have plunged them into anguish. 

Thy mercy, too, in our absence, has been upon our 
tabernacle, and secured it from all evil — that it may 
be a tabernacle of the righteous ; and be ever filled, not 
only with the voice of rejoicing, but of praise. 

And be with us in all the future journey of life ; 
guide us by thy counsel, uphold us by thy power ; and 
supply all our wants, till we come to our Father's house 
in peace. 



FOR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS. Jay, 

All our times are in thy hand. All diseases come at 
thy call, and go at thy bidding. Thou redeemest our 
life from destruction, and crownest us with loving-kind- 
ness and tender mercies. We bless thee, that thou hast 
heard our prayer, and commanded deliverance for our 
friend and thy servant, who has been under thine afflict- 
ing hand. He {or she) was brought low, but thou hast 
helped him : thou hast chastened him sore, but not de- 
livered him over unto death. May he not only live, but 
declare the works of the Lord. 

As thou hast delivered his eyes from tears, his feet 
from falling, and his soul from death, may he daily in- 
quire. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his 
benefits towards me ? and resolve to off*er unto thee, the 
sacrifices of thanksgiving, and to call upon the name of 
the Lord. 

And may we ever remember, that a recovery is only 



264 PRAYERS AT TABLE. 

a reprieve ; that the sentence which dooms us to the 
dust is only suspended ; and, that at most, when a few 
years are come, we shall go the way whence we shall 
not return. May we therefore secure the one thing 
needfulj and live with eternity in view. 



PRAYERS AT TABLE. 



BEFORE MEAT. Jay. 

Almighty God ! the eyes of all wait upon thee, and 
thou givest them their meat in due season. Bless, we 
beseech thee, the provisions of thine earthly bounty, 
which are now before us; and let them nourish and 
strengthen our frail bodies, that we may the better serve 
thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen, 

OR THUS : 

Bountiful Giver of every good and perfect gift ! thou 
art never weary of supplying our returning wants — 
grant, we pray thee, that the food of which we are about 
to partake, may contribute to the comfort and support 
of our bodies, — and enable us to engage with more zeal 
in thy service ; which we ask for Jesus Christ's sake. 
Amen. 

OR THUS : 
Let thy blessing. Almighty God, descend on this por- 
tion of thy bounty, and on us, thy unworthy servants, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

OR THUS : 
Almighty God, we beseech thee to pardon our sins : 
to bless the refreshment now before us, to our use, and 
us to thy service, through Jesus Christ. 



PRAYERS AT TABLE. 265 

OR THUS : 
Father of lights, from whom cometh down every good 
and perfect gift, enable us to receive these fruits of thy 
bounty with humility and gratitude, and give us grace, 
that, whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we 
may do all to thy glory, and be accepted through the 
great Redeemer. 

OR THUS : 

Bounteous God, we acknowledge our dependence on 
thee, and our unworthiness of thy benefits. We pray 
thee to forgive our sins : to bless us in the reception of 
this food, and enable us to improve the strength we may 
derive from it to thy glory, for Christ's sake. 

OR THUS : 
Sanctify, Lord, we beseech thee, these thy produc- 
tions to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. 



AFTER MEAT. Jay. 

We thank thee, God, our heavenly Father ! for the 
innumerable good gifts of thy providence. Especially 
do we thank thee for the rich provision thou hast made 
for our souls — accept our grateful acknowledgments for 
the food we have now received ; and enable us to prove 
our sincerity by the holiness and obedience of our lives, 
for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 
Amen. 

OR THUS : 
What shall we render to thee, God, for all thy 
benefits ? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh 
tokens of thy favour. 0, let thy goodness lead us to 
repentance. And if we can do no more than express 
our gratitude, help us to do that in the sincerity of our 
souls, and thine shall be the glory, for ever, through 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 
12 



266 PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS 



OR THUS : 

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this, 
and for all thy blessings through Jesus Christ. 

OR THUS : 

We thank thee, our heavenly Father, for the rich 
provision thou hast made for our temporal and eternal 
welfare ; especially for the food we have now received. 
May thy goodness lead us to repentance, and thy grace 
prepare us for heavenly entertainments, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. 

OR THUS: 

We praise thee, Lord, for the provisions of thy pro- 
vidence and grace, and in particular for this renewed 
token of thy favour. May we feel our increased obliga- 
tions to be thine, and be fitted at length, to eat bread in 
thy heavenly kingdom, through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

OR THUS : 

We bless thee, Lord, for this kind refreshment. 
Be pleased to continue thy favours, and feed us with the 
bread of life. Supply the wants of the needy, and en- 
able us, while we live on thy bounty, to live to thy glory, 
for Christ's sake. Amen. 

OR THUS : 

Blessed and praised be thy holy name, Lord, for 
this and all thy other blessings, bestowed upon us 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



H Y M N S 



CmEFLY ADAPTED TO 



FAMILY WORSHIP. 



(267) 



HYMNS 

CHIEFLY ADAPTED TO FAMILY WORSHIP. 



mORNZNG HYMNS. 

1 HYMN. C. M. 

1 ONCE more, my soul, the rising day 

Salutes thy waking eyes ; 
Once more, my voice, thy tribute pay 
To Him who rules the skies. 

2 Night unto night his name repeats ; 

The day renews the sound. 
Wide as the heavens on which he sits 
To turn the seasons round. 

3 'Tis he supports my mortal frame ; 

My tongue shall speak his praise ; 
My sins would rouse his wrath to flame, 
And yet his wrath delays, 

4 How many wretched souls have fled 

Since the last setting sun ! 
And yet thou lengthenest out my thread, 
• And yet my moments run. 

5 Great God, let all my hours be thine, 

While I enjoy the light; 
Then shall my sun in smiles decline, 
And brinff a peaceful niffht. 



270 MORNING HYMNS. 



2 HYMN. L. M. 

1 AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun 
Thy daily stage of duty run; 
Shake off dull sloth — and joyful rise 
To pay thy morning sacrifice. 

2 Glory to Thee, who safe hast kept. 
And hast refreshed me while I slept : 
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake, 
I may of endless life partake. 

3 Direct, control, suggest, this day, 
All I design, or do, or say; 

That all my powers, with all their might, 
In thy sole glory may unite. 

3 HYMN. L. M. 

1 GOD of the morning, at thy voice 

The cheerful sun makes haste to rise, 
And like a giant doth rejoice 

To run his journey through the skies. 

2 O! like the sun, may I fulfil 

Th' appointed duties of the day ; 
With ready mind, and active will, 

March on, and keep my heav'nly way. 

3 Lord, thy commands are clean and pure, 

Enlightening our beclouded eyes ; 
Thy threatenings just — thy promise sure ; 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise. 

4 Give me thy counsels for my guide, 

And then receive me to thy bliss ; 
All my desires and hopes beside 

Are faint and cold compared with this. 

4 HYMN. C. M. 

1 GOD of my life, my morning song 
To thee I cheerful raise : 
Thy acts of love 't is good to sing, 
And pleasant 'tis to praise. 



MORNING HYMNS. 271 



2 Preserv'd by thy almighty arm, 

I pass'd the shades of night, 
Serene, and safe from every harm, 
To see the morning light. 

3 While numbers spent the night in sighs, 

And restless pains and woes, 

In gentle sleep I closed my eyes, 

And rose from sweet repose. 

4 Oh let the same almighty care 

Through all this day attend : 
From every danger — every snare, 
My heedless steps defend. 

5 Smile on my minutes as they roll, 

And guide my future days; 
And let thy goodness fill my soul 
With gratitude and praise. 

5 HYMN. 7's. 

1 THOU that dost my life prolong, 
Kindly aid my morning song; 
Thankful from my couch I rise. 
To the God that rules the skies. 

2 Thou didst hear my ev'ning cry ; 
Thy preserving hand was nigh ; 
Peaceful slumbers thou hast shed, 
Grateful to my weary head. 

3 Thou hast kept me through the night; 
'Twas thy hand restor'd the light: 
Lord, thy mercies still are new. 
Plenteous as the morning dew. 

4 Still my feet are prone to stray; 
Oh ! preserve me through the day 
Dangers every where abound; 
Sins and snares beset me round. 

5 Gently, with the dawning ray. 
On my soul thy beams display; 
Sweeter than the smiling morn. 
Let thy cheering light return. 



272 MORNING HYMNS. 

6 HYMN. L. M. 

God our Defence. 

1 O LORD, how many are my foes, 

In this weak state of flesh and blood 
My peace they daily discompose, 
But my defence and hope is God. 

2 Tired with the burdens of the day, 

To thee I raised an ev'ning cry; 
Thou heardst, when I began to pray, 
And thine almighty help was nigh. 

3 Supported by thine heav'nly aid, 

I laid me down and slept secure; 
Not death should make my heart afraid. 
Though I should wake and rise no more. 

4 But God sustain'd me all the night; 

Salvation doth to God belong: 
He raised my head to see the light. 

And makes his praise my morning song. 

7 HYMN. C. M. 

1 THOU, gracious Lord, art my defence : 

On thee my hopes rely; 
Thou art my glory, and shalt yet 
Lift up my head on high. 

2 Guarded by him, I laid me down. 

My sweet repose to take; 
For I through him securely sleep. 
Through him in safety wake. 

3 Salvation to the Lord belongs; 

He only can defend; 
His blessing he extends to all 
That on his power depend. 



MORNING HYMNS. 273 

8 HYMN. S. M. 

Prayer for spiritual light, 

1 WE lift our hearts to Thee, 

Thou Day-Star from on high; 
The sun itself is but thy shade, 
Yet cheers both earth and sky. 

2 O, let thy rising beams 

Dispel the shades of night ; 
And let the glories of thy love 
Come like the morning light. 

3 How beauteous nature now ! 

How dark and sad before! 
With joy we view the pleasing change, 
And nature's God adore. 

4 May we this life improve 

To mourn for errors past; 
And live this short revolving day 
As if it were our last. 

9 HYMN. S. M. 
Morning Meditation, 

1 AWAKE, my drowsy soul, 

These airy visions chase; 
Awake, my active pow'rs renew'd, 
To run the heav'nly race. 

2 See how the rising sun 

Pursues his shining way ; 
And wide proclaims his Maker's praise, 
With ev'ry bright'ning ray! 

3 Thus would my rising soul 

Her heav'nly Parent sing; 
And to her great Original 
Her humble tribute bring. 

4 Serene, I laid me down 

Beneath his guardian care; 
I slept, and I awoke, and found 
My kind preserver near. 
12* 



274 MORNING HYMNS. 

5 Dear Saviour, to thy cross, 
I bring my sacrifice; 
Ting'd with thy blood, it shall ascend 
With fragrance to the skies. 



10 HYMN. C. M. 

God^s goodness renewed every Morning and Evening* 

1 GREAT GOD ! my early vows to thee 

With gratitude I'll bring; 
And at the rosy dawn of day 
Thy lofty praises sing. 

2 Thou, round the heav'nly arch dost draw 

A dark and sable veil, 
And all the beauties of the world, 
From mortal eyes conceal. 

3 Again the sky with golden beams 

Thy skilful hands adorn, 
And paint, with cheerful splendour gay, 
The fair ascending morn. 

4 And as the gloomy night returns. 

Or smiling day renews. 
Thy constant goodness still my soul 
With benefits pursues. 

5 For this will I my vows to thee 

With ev'ning incense bring; 
And at the rosy dawn of day 
Thy lofty praises sing. 

11 HYMN. 8.8.6. 

1 ONCE more my eyes behold the day, 
And to my God, my soul would pay 

Its tributary lays : 
O may the life preserv'd by thee 
With all its powers and blessings be 

Devoted to thy praise. 



MORNING HYMNS. 275 

2 Beneath the shadow of thy wings, 
(Israel's great Keeper, King of kings) 

My weary head found rest : 
No dire alarms, or racking pains. 
Devouring flames or galling chains, 

Disturb my peaceful breast. 

3 How many, since I laid me down, 
Have launch'd into a world unknown, 

To meet a dreadful doom ; 
While some on watery billows toss'd, 
Or wand'ring on an unknown coast. 

Have sigh'd in vain for home. 

4 But, I am spar'd to see thy face, 
A monument of saving grace. 

And live to praise thy name 
Still be thou near, my gracious Lord, 
To keep and guide; — and by thy word 

Peace to my soul proclaim. 

5 Let me enjoy thy presence here, 
In every storm my heart to cheer, 

Till thou shalt bid me rise. 
Where sin and sorrow never come. 
Till at my blest eternal home, 

I wake in sweet surprise. 

12 HYMN. C. M. 

The fear of God. Prov. xxiii. 17. 

1 THRICE happy souls, who, born of heav'n 

W^hile yet they sojourn here. 
Humbly begin their days with God, 
And spend them in his fear. 

2 So may our eyes with holy zeal 

Prevent the dawning day ; 
And turn the sacred pages o'er. 
And praise thy name and pray. 

3 Midst hourly cares may love present 

Its incense to thy throne; 
And, while the world our hands employs, 
Our hearts be thine alone. 



276 MORNING HYMNS. 

4 At night we lean our weary heads 

On thy paternal breast ; 
And, safely folded in thine arms, 
Resign our powers to rest. 

5 In solid, pure delights, like these, 

Let all my days be past; 
Nor shall I then impatient wish, 
Nor shall I fear the last. 



13 HYMN. 7's. 

1 NOW the shades of night are gone ; 
Now the morning light is come; 
Lord, may I be thine to-day — 
Drive the shades of sin away. . 

2 Fill my soul with heav'nly light. 
Banish doubt, and cleanse my sight; 
In thy service. Lord, to-day. 

Help me labour, help me pray 

3 Keep my haughty passions bound — 
Save me from my foes around; 
Going out and coming in, 

Keep me safe from ev'ry sin. 

4 When my work of life is past 
Oh ! receive me then at last ! 
Night of sin will be no more, 
When I reach the heav'nly shore. 



EVENING HYMNS. 277 



EVENING HYMNS. 

14 L. M. 

1 THUS far the Lord has led me on; 

Thus far his power prolongs my days, 
And ev'ry ev'ning shall make known 
Some fresh memorial of his grace. 

2 Much of my time has run to waste, 

And I, perhaps, am near my home ; 
But he forgives my follies past; 

He give me strength for days to come. 

S I lay my body down to sleep; 

Peace is the pillow for my head; 
While well appointed angels keep 

Their watchful stations round my bed. 

4 Thus, when the night of death shall come, 
My flesh shall rest beneath the ground. 
And wait thy voice to break my tomb. 
With sweet salvation in the sound. 

15 HYMN. C. M. 

1 DREAD Sov'reign, let my ev'ning song 

Like holy incense rise; 
Assist the offering of my tongue 
To reach the lofty skies. 

2 Through all the dangers of the day 

Thy hand was still my guard ; 
And still to drive my wants away, 
Thy mercy stood prepar'd. 

3 Perpetual blessings from above 

Encompass me around. 
But oh ! how few returns of love 
Hath my Redeemer found ! 

4 What have I done for him who died 

To save my guilty soul ? 

Alas! my sins are multiplied. 

Fast as my minutes roll ! 



278 EVENING HYMNS. 

5 Yet, with this guilty heart of mine, 
Lord, to thy cross I flee. 
And to thy grace my soul resign, 
To be renew'd by thee. 

16 HYMN. S. M. 

1 GREAT God, to thee my ev'ning song 

With humble gratitude I raise ; 
Oh let thy mercy tune my tongue, 
And fill my heart with lively praise, 

2 My days unclouded as they pass, 

And ev'ry gently rolling hour. 
Are monuments of wond'rous grace, 
And witness to thy love and pow'r. 

3 Thy love and pow'r, celestial guard, 

Preserve me from surrounding harm : 
Can danger reach me while the Lord 
Extends his kind, protecting arm ? 

4 Let this blest hope my eyelids close ; 

With sleep refresh my feeble frame : 
Safe in thy care may I repose. 

And wake with praises to thy name. 

17 HYMN. L. M. 

1 GLORY to thee, my God, this night, 
For all the blessings of the light ; 
Keep me, O keep me. King of kings. 
Beneath thine own almighty wings. 

2 Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son, 
The ill that I this day have done ; 
That with the world, myself, and thee, 
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be. 

3 Let my blest guardian, while I sleep, 
His watchful station near me keep. 
My heart with love celestial fill. 

And guard me from th' approach of ill. 



EVENING HYMNS. 279 

4 Teach me to live, that I may dread 
The grave as little as my bed ; 
Teach me to die, that so I may 
Rise glorious at the awful day. 

18 HYMN. C. M. 

1 INDULGENT God, whose bounteous care 

O'er all thy works is shown, 
Oh let my grateful praise and prayer 
Arise before thy throne. 

2 What mercies has this day bestow'd! 

How largely hast thou blest ! 

My cup with plenty overflow'd, 

With cheerfulness my breast, 

3 Now may soft slumber close my eyes, 

From pain and sickness free ; 
And let my waking thoughts arise, 
To meditate on thee. 

4 Thus bless each future day and night. 

Till life's vain scene is o'er; 
And then to realms of endless light, 
Oh let my spirit soar. 

19 HYMN. S. M. 

1 ANOTHER day is past. 

The hours forever fled; 
And time is bearing me away. 
To mingle with the dead. 

2 My mind in perfect peace 

My Father's care shall keep; 
I yield to gentle slumber now. 
For thou canst never sleep. 

3 How blessed. Lord, are they 

On thee securely stayed ! 
Nor shall they be in life alarmed 
Nor be in death dismayed. 



280 EVENING HYMNS. 



20 HYMN. S. M. 

1 THE day is past and gone, 

The ev'ning shades appear; 
Oh, may I ever keep in mind. 
The night of death draws near. 

2 Lord, keep me safe this night, 

Secure from all my fears; 
May angels guard me while I sleep, 
Till morning light appears. 

3 And when I early rise, 

To view th' unwearied sun, 
May I set out to win the prize, 
And after glory run. 

4 Lord, when my days are past, 

And I from time remove, 
O may I in thy bosom rest. 
The bosom of thy love. 

21 HYMN. 7's. 

1 SOFTLY now the light of day 
Fades upon my sight away; 
Free from care — from labour free, 
Lord, I would commune with thee. 

2 Soon, for me, the light of day 
Shall for ever pass away: 
Then from sin and sorrow free, 
Take me, Lord, to dwell with thee! 

22 HYMN. C. M. 

Evening Prayer and Praise, 

1 INDULGENT Father, by whose care, 
I've pass'd another day. 
Let me this night thy mercy share ; 
O, teach me how to pray. 



EVENING HYMNS. 281 



2 Show me my sins, that I may mourn 

My guilt before thy face; 
Direct me, Lord, to Christ alone, 
And save me by thy grace. 

3 Let each returning night declare 

The tokens of thy love; 
And ev'ry hour thy grace prepare 
My soul for joys above. 

4 And when on earth I close mine eyes, 

To sleep in death's embrace. 
Let me to heav'n and glory rise, 
To see thy smiling face. 

23 HYMN. 7's. 
Evening Communion with God, 

1 NOW, from labour and from care. 
Twilight shades have set me free ; 
In the work of praise and pray'r 
Lord, I would converse with thee. 
O, behold me from above. 

Fill me with a Saviour's love. 

2 Sin and sorrow, guilt and wo. 
Wither all my earthly joys ; 
Nought can charm me here below, 
But my Saviour's melting voice, 
Lord, forgive ; thy grace restore ; 
Make me thine for evermore. 

3 For the blessings of this day, 
For the mercies of this hour. 
For the gospel's cheering ray. 
For the Spirit's quick'ning pow'r, 
Grateful notes to thee I raise ; 

O, accept my song of praise. 

24 HYMN. C. M. 

1 IN mercy, Lord, remember me. 
Through all the hours of night. 
And grant to me most graciously 
The safeguard of thy might. 



282 EVENING HYMNS. 

2 With cheerful heart I close my eyes 

Since thou wilt not remove; 
Oh, in the morning let me rise, 
Rejoicing in thy love! 

3 Or, if this night should prove the last, 

And end my transient days ; 
Lord, take me to thy promi-s'd rest, 
Where I may sing thy praise. 

25 HYMN. C. M. 

1 FATHER, by saints on earth ador'd. 

By saints beyond the skies. 
Accept, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, 
Our ev'ning sacrifice. 

2 If kept to-day from wilful sin, 

We magnify thy grace; 
Thou hast our kind preserver been, 
And thine be all the praise. 

3 We live to testify the grace. 

Which sure salvation brings ; 
And sink to night in thine embrace, 
And rest beneath thy wings. 

4 But whether. Lord, we wake or sleep. 

The charge of love divine, 
We trust thy providence to keep 
Our souls for ever thine. 



26 HYMN. 8's & 7's. 

1 SAVIOUR, breathe an ev'ning blessing. 

Ere repose our spirits seal : 
Sin and want we come confessing, 

Thou canst save, and thou canst heal. 
Though destruction walk around us, 

Though the arrow past us fly, 
Angel-guards from thee surround us, 

We are safe, if thou art nigh. 



EVENING HYMNS. 283 

Though the night be dark and dreary, 

Darkness cannot hide from thee ; 
Thou art He, who, never weary, 

Watchest where thy people be ; 
Should swift death this night overtake us, 

And our couch become our tomb ; 
May the morn in heav'n awake us. 

Clad in Hght and deathless bloom ! 



27 HYMN. C. M. 

1 O LORD, another day is flown. 

And we, a lonely band, 
Are met once more before thy throne, 
To bless thy fost'ring hand. 

2 And wilt thou bend a listening ear 

To praises low as ours? 
Thou wilt ! for thou dost love to hear 
The song which meekness pours. 

3 And, Jesus, thou thy smiles wilt deign, 

As we before thee pray; 
For thou didst bless the infant train, 
And we are less than they. 

4 Oh, let thy grace perform its part, 

And let contentions cease; 
And shed abroad in ev'ry heart 
Thine everlasting peace. 

28 HYMN. L. M. 

1 THE night shall hear me raise my song. 
And in her silent courts my tongue 
Shall pour the solitary lay. 

For all the mercies of the day. 

2 Nor will my God disdain to hear 

The sigh I breathe — the fervent pray'r : 
When, sinking to oblivious rest, 
I seek the pillow of his breast. 



284 EVENING HYMNS, 

3 And when the blushing mom shall rise, 
To tinge with gold the eastern skies ; 
With strength renew'd, my thankful lay- 
Shall hail the new-born beams of day. 

29 HYMN. 8's. 

1 INSPIRER and Hearer of pray'r, 

Before whom a sinner may bend ; 
My all to thy covenant care, 
I sleeping or waking commend. 

2 If thou art my shield and my sun, 

The night is no darkness to me ; 
And fast as my moments roll on, 
They bring me but nearer to thee. 

3 From evil secure, and its dread, 

I rest, if my Saviour be nigh ; 
And songs his kind presence indeed. 
Shall in the night season supply. 

4 He smiles, and my comforts abound ; 

His grace as the dew shall descend • 
And walls of salvation surround 
The soul he delights to defend. 

30 HYMN. C. M. 

1 IN all my vast concerns with thee. 

In vain my soul would try 
To shun thy presence, Lord, or flee 
The notice of thine eye. 

2 Thy all -surrounding sight surveys 

My rising and my rest. 
My public walks, my private ways. 
And secrets of my breast. 

3 My thoughts lie open to the Lord, 

Before they're form'd within; 
And ere my lips pronounce the word, 
He knows the sense I mean. 



EVENING HYMNS. 285 

Oh wondrous knowledge, deep and high, 

Where can a creature hide? 
Within thy circling arms I lie, 

Enclos'd on ev'ry side. 

5 So let thy grace surround me still, 
And like a bulwark prove, 
To guard my soul from ev'ry ill, 
Secur'd by sov'reign love. 

31 HYMN. C. M. 

1 LORD, thou wilt hear me when I pray ; 

I am for ever thine : 
I fear before thee all the day, 
Nor would I dare to sin. 

2 And while I rest my weary head. 

From cares and business free, 
'Tis sweet conversing on my bed 
With my own heart and thee. 

3 I pay this evening sacrifice; 

And when my work is done, 
Great God, my faith and hope relies 
Upon thy grace alone. 

4 Thus with my thoughts compos'd to peace, 

I'll give mine eyes to sleep; 

Thy hand in safety keeps my days. 

And will my slumbers keep. 

33 HYMN. C. M. 

Saturday JVighL 

1 BEGONE, my worldly cares, away, 

Nor dare to tempt my sight ; 
Let me begin th' ensuing day. 
Before I end this night. 

2 Yes, let the work of pray'r and praise 

Employ my heart and tongue ; 
Begin, my soul ; — thy Sabbath days 
Can never be too long. 



286 MORNING OR EVENING HYMNS. 

3 Let the past mercies of the week 

Excite a grateful frame ; 
Nor let my tongue refuse to speak 
Some good of Jesus' name. 

4 On wings of expectation borne, 

My hopes to heav'n ascend; 

I long to welcome in the morn, 

With thee the day to spend. 

33 HYMN. 7's. 

Sdblath-Eve. Heb. iv. 9. 

1 SAFELY through another week, 
God has brought us on our way; 
Let us now a blessing seek, 

On th' approaching Sabbath day. 
Day of all the week the best. 
Emblem of eternal rest. 

2 When the morn shall bid us rise. 
May we feel thy presence near! 
May thy glory meet our eyes 
When we in thy house appear 
There afford us, Lord, a taste 
Of our everlasting feast. 



1M[0RNZN& OR EVENING KYIMENS. 
34 HYMN. L. M. 

A Hymn for Morning or Evening. 

1 MY God, how endless is thy love ! 

Thy gifts are ev'ry evening new ; 
And morning mercies from above 
Gently distil like early dew. 

2 Thou spread'st the curtains of the night. 

Great Guardian of my sleeping hours ; 
Thy sov'reign word restores the light. 
And quickens all my drowsy pow'rs. 



MORNING OR EVENING HYMNS. 287 

I yield my pow'rs to thy command, 

To thee I consecrate my days ; 
Perpetual blessings from thine hand 

Demand perpetual songs of praise. 



35 HYMN. C. M. 

1 HOSANNA, with a cheerful sound, 

To God's upholding hand; 
Ten thousand snares attend us round, 
And yet secure we stand. 

2 That was a most amazing pow'r 

That rais'd us with a word ; 
And ev'ry day, and ev'ry hour, 
We lean upon the Lord. 

3 The rising morn cannot assure 

That we shall end the day ; 
For death stands ready at the door 
To hurry us away. 

4 Our life is forfeited by sin 

To God's avenging law; 
We own thy grace, immortal King, 
In ev'ry breath we draw. 

5 God is our sun — whose daily light 

Our joy and safety brings ; 
Our feeble frame lies safe at night, 
Beneath his shady wings. 

36 HYMN. C. M. 

1 ON thee, each morning, O my God, 

My waking thoughts attend; 
In thee are founded all my hopes. 
In thee my wishes end. 

2 My soul, in pleasing wonder lost. 

Thy boundless love surveys ; 
And, fir'd with grateful zeal, prepares 
A sacrifice of praise. 



288 FAMILY RELIGION. 

3 When ev'ning slumbers press my eyes, 

With his protection blest, 

In peace and safety I commit 

My weary limbs to rest. 

4 My spirit, in his hand secure, 

Fears no approaching ill ; 
For, whether waking or asleep, 
Thou, Lord, art with me still. 

37 HYMN. L. M. 

Daily Devotion. 

1 MY God, accept my early vows, 
Like morning incense in thine house ; 
And let my nightly worship rise, 
Sweet as the ev'ning sacrifice. 

2 Watch o'er my lips, and guard them, Lord, 
From every rash and heedless word ; 

Nor let my feet incline to tread 
The guilty path where sinners lead. 

3 Oh, may the righteous, when I stray. 
Smite, and reprove my wandering way; 
Their gentle words, like ointment shed. 
Shall never bruise, but cheer my head. 

4 When I behold them press'd with grief, 
I'll cry to heaven for their relief; 
And by my warm petitions, prove 
How much I prize their faithful love. 



FA1MCZL7 REX.X6ZON, 

38 HYMN. L. M. 

1 FATHER of all, thy care we bless. 
Which crowns our families with peace ; 
From thee they spring, and by thy hand 
They have been, and are still sustain'd. 



FAMILY RELIGION. 289 

2 To God, most worthy to be prais'd, 
Be our domestic altar^ rais'd ; 

Who, Lord of heav'n, scorns not to dwell 
With saints in their obscurest cell. 

3 To thee may each united house, 
Morning and night present its vows ; 
Our servants there, and rising race, 
Be taught thy precepts, and thy grace. 

4 Oh, may each future age proclaim 
The honours of thy glorious name ; 
While, pleas'd and thankful, we remove 
To join the family above. 



39 HYMN. S. M. 

Love to the Brethren, 

1 Blest be the tie that binds 

Our hearts in Christian love; 
The fellowship of kindred minds 
Is like to that above. 

2 Before our Father's throne 

We pour our ardent prayers ; 
Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one. 
Our comforts and our cares. 

3 We share our mutual woes ; 

Our mutual burdens bear; 
And often for each other flows 
The sympathizing tear. 

4 When we asunder part. 

It gives us inward pain ; 
But we shall still be join'd in heart, 
And hope to meet again. 

5 This glorious hope revives 

Our courage by the way ; 

While each in expectation lives, 

And longs to see the day. 



290 FAMILY RELIGION. 

6 From sorrow, toil, and pain, 
And sin, we shall be free ; 
And perfect love and friendship reign 
Through all eternity. 



40 HYMN. C. M. 

1 LO ! what an entertaining sight, 

Those friendly brethren prove, 
Whose cheerful hearts in bands unite, 
Of harmony and love ! 

2 Where streams of bliss, from Christ the spring, 

Descend to every soul ; 
And heav'nly peace, with balmy wing, 
Shades and bedews the whole. 

3 'Tis pleasant as the morning dews, 

That fall on Zion's hill; 
Where God his mildest glory shows, 
And makes his grace distil. 



41 HYMN. S. M. 

1 BLEST are the sons of peace, 

Whose hearts and hopes are one; 
Whose kind designs to serve and please 
Through all their actions run. 

2 Blest is the pious house, 

Where zeal and friendship meet; 
Their songs of praise — their mingled vows, 
Make their communion sweet. 

3 From those celestial springs 

Such streams of pleasure flow, 
As no increase of riches brings. 
Nor honours can bestow. 

4 Thus on the heavenly hills 

The saints are blest above ; 
Where joy, like morning dew, distils, 
And all the air is love. 



FAMILY RELIGION. 291 

42 HYMN. S. p. M. 

1 HOW pleasant 'tis to see 
Kindred and friends agree, 

Each in his proper station move ; 

And each fulfil his part, 

With sympathizing heart, 
In all the cares of life and love ! 

2 Like fruitful showers of rain, 
That water all the plain, 

Descending from the neighbouring hills ; 

Such streams of pleasure roll 

Through every friendly soul, 
Where love, like heav'nly dew, distils. 

43 HYMN. C. M. 

1 AUTHOR of good— to thee we turn : 

Thine ever wakeful eye 
Alone can all our wants discern- — 
Thy hand alone supply. 

2 O let thy love within us dwell. 

Thy fear our footsteps guide; 
That love shall vainer loves expel, 
That fear all fears beside. 

3 And O, by error's force subdued. 

Since oft, by stubborn will. 
We blindly shun the latent good. 
And grasp the specious ill; — 

4 Not what we wish — but what we want, 

Let mercy still supply : 
The good we ask not, Father, grant— 
The ill we ask — deny. 

44 HYMN. C. M. 

1 GOD of our fathers ! by whose hand 
Thy people still are blest. 
Be with us through our pilgrimage. 
Conduct us to our rest. 



292 FAMILY RELIGION. 

2 Through each perplexing path of life 

Our wandering footsteps guide ; 
Give us each day our daily bread, 
And raiment fit provide. 

3 O spread thy sheltering wings around, 

Till all our wanderings cease, 
And at our Father's lov'd abode 
Our souls arrive in peace. 

4 Such blessings from thy gracious hand 

Our humble prayers implore; 
And thou, the Lord, shalt be our God 
And portion evermore. 

45 HYMN. L. M. 

1 THOU, Lord, through every changing scene. 
Hast to the saints a refuge been ; 

Through every age, eternal God ! 
Their pleasing home— their safe abode. 

2 In thee our fathers sought their rest. 
And were with thy protection blest ; 
Behold their sons, a feeble race 1 
We come to fill our fathers' place. 

3 Through all the thorny paths we tread. 
Ere we are number'd with the dead, 
When friends desert — and foes invade, 
Be thou our all-sufficient aid ! 

4 And when this pilgrimage is o'er. 
And we must dwell on earth no more. 
To thee, great God ! may we ascend, 
And find an everlasting friend. 

5 To thee our infant race we'll leave; 
Them may their fathers' God receive ; 
That voices, yet unform'd, may raise 
Succeeding hymns of humble praise. 



SABBATH MORNING. 293 

SABBATH 2MCORNINO. 

46 HYMN. C. M. 

1 LORD, in the morning thou shalt hear 

My voice ascending high; 
To thee will I direct my prayer, 
Ta thee hft up mine eye ; — 

2 Up to the hills, where Christ is gone 

To plead for all his saints, 
Presenting at his Father's throne 
Our songs and our complaints. 

3 Thou art a God, before whose sight 

The wicked shall not stand ; 

Sinners shall ne'er be thy delight, 

Nor dwell at thy right hand. 

4 But to thy house will I resort, 

To taste thy mercies there ; 
I will frequent thine holy court, 
And worship in thy fear. 

5 Oh may thy Spirit guide my feet 

In ways of righteousness. 
Make every path of duty straight. 
And plain before my face. 

47 HYMN. C. M. 

1 SOON as the morning rays appear, 

I'll hft my eyes above; 
My voice shall reach thy listening ear, 
And supplicate thy love. 

2 Within thy house my voice shall rise 

Before thy mercy-seat; 
There will I fix my steadfast eyes. 
And worship at thy feet. 

3 In righteousness thy strength display. 

And my protection be; 
Teach me to know that only way, 
Which leads to heav'n and ihee. 



294 SABBATH MORNING. 

48 HYMN. S. M. 
The Sabbath welcomed. 

1 WELCOME, sweet day of rest, 

That saw the Lord arise; 
Welcome to this reviving breast, 
And these rejoicing eyes ! 

2 Jesus himself comes near, 

And feasts his saints to-day; 
Here we may sit, and see him here, 
And love, and praise, and pray. 

3 One day, amid the place 

Where God my Saviour's been, 
Is sweeter than ten thousand days 
Of pleasure and of sin. 

4 My willing soul would stay 

In such a frame as this. 
Till call'd to rise, and soar away, 
To everlasting bliss. 

49 HYMN. P. M. 

1 WELCOME, delightful morn! 

Thou day of sacred rest ; 
I hail thy kind return ; 

Lord make these moments blest. 
From low delights, and mortal toys, 
I soar to reach immortal joys. 

2 Now may the King descend. 

And fill his throne of grace ; 
Thy sceptre. Lord, extend. 

While saints address thy face; 
Let sinners feel thy quick'ning word, 
And learn to know and fear the Lord. 

3 Descend, celestial Dove, 

With all thy quick'ning powers ; 
Disclose a Saviour's love, 

And bless these sacred hours : 
Then shall my soul new life obtain, 
Nor Sabbaths be indul^j'd in vain. 



SABBATH MORNING. 295 



50 HYMN. lO's. 

1 HAIL, happy day ! thou day of holy rest ! 
What heav'nly peace and transport fill our breast, 
When Christ, the God of grace, in love descends, 
And kindly holds communion with his friends. 

2 Let earth and all its vanities be gone. 

Move from my sight, and leave my soul alone ; 
Its flattering, fading glories I despise. 
And to immortal beauties turn my eyes. 

3 Fain would I mount and penetrate the skies, 
And on my Saviour's glories fix my eyes : 
Oh ! meet my rising soul, thou God of love, 
And wafl it to the blissful realms above ! 

51 HYMN. L. M. 

The Rest of the Sahhath. 

1 ANOTHER six days' work is done ; 
Another Sabbath is begun : 
Return, my soul — enjoy thy rest ; 
Improve the day thy God has blest. 

2 Oh that our thoughts and thanks may rise, 
As grateful incense, to the skies ; 

And draw from heav'n that sweet repose, 
Which none but he that feels it knows. 

3 This heav'nly calm within the breast ! 
The dearest pledge of glorious rest. 
Which for the church of God remains — 
The end of cares — the end of pains. 

4 With joy, great God, thy works we view, 
In varied scenes, both old and new ; 
With praise, we think on mercies past ; 
With hope, we future pleasures taste. 

5 In holy duties let the day — 
In holy pleasures, pass away; 
How sweet, a Sabbath thus to spend, 
In hope of one that ne'er shall end. 



296 SABBATH MORNING. 

52 HYMN. C. M. 

1 COME, let us join with sweet accord 

In hymns around the throne; 
This is the day our rising Lord 
Hath made, and call'd his own. 

2 This is the day which God hath blest, 

The brightest of the seven ; 
Type of that everlasting rest, 
The saints enjoy in heav'n. 

53 HYMN. L. M. 

Preparation for the Duties of the Sabbath implored, 

1 COME, dearest Lord, and bless this day ; 
Come, bear our thoughts from earth away ; 
Now, let our noblest passions rise 
With ardour to their native skies. 

2 Come, Holy Spirit, all divine, 
With rays of light upon us shine ; 
And let our waiting souls be blest 
On this sweet day of sacred rest. 

3 Then, when our Sabbaths here are o'er, 
And we arrive on Canaan's shore. 
With all the ransom'd, we shall spend 
A Sabbath which shall never end. 

54 HYMN. L. M. 

1 GREAT God ! this sacred day of thine 

Demands the soul's collected pow'rs ; 
With joy we now to thee resign 

These solemn, consecrated hours : 
Oh may our souls adoring own 
The grace that calls us to thy throne. 

2 All-seeing God ! thy piercing eye 

Can every secret thought explore ; 
May worldly cares our bosoms fly. 

And where thou art intrude no more : 
Oh may thy grace our spirits move. 
And fix our minds on things above ! 



SABBATH MORNING. 297 

3 Thy Spirit's powerful aid impart, 

And bid thy word, with life divine, 
Engage the ear — and warm the heart ; 

Then shall the day indeed be thine : 
Our souls shall then adoring own 
The grace that calls us to thy throne. 

55 HYMN. P. M. 
Resurrection of Christ celebrated. 

1 AWAKE, our drowsy souls, 

And burst the slothful band ; 
The wonders of this day 

Our noblest songs demand : 
Auspicious morn ! thy blissful rays 
Bright seraphs hail, in songs of praise. 

2 At thy approaching dawn. 

Reluctant death resign'd 
The glorious Prince of life. 

In dark domains confin'd 
Th' angelic host around him bends. 
And midst their shouts the God ascends. 

3 All hail, triumphant Lord! 

Heav'n with hosannas rings; 
While earth, in humbler strains, 

Thy praise responsive sings! 
" Worthy art thou, who once wast slain 
Through endless years to live and reign." 

4 Gird on, great God, thy sword, 

Ascend thy conqu'ring car. 
While justice, truth, and love, 

Maintain the glorious war: 
Victorious, thou thy foes shalt tread^ 
And sin and hell in triumph lead. 

56 HYMN. C. M. 

1 AGAIN the Lord of life and light 

Awakes the kindling ray ; 
Dispels the darkness of the night, 

And pours increasirifj day. 
13* 



298 SABBATH MORNING. 

2 Oh ! what a night was that, which wrapt 

A sinful world in gloom ! 
Oh ! what a Sun, which broke, this day, 
Triumphant from the tomb! 

3 This day be grateful homage paid, 

And loud hosannas sung; 
Let gladness dwell in ev'ry heart, 
And praise on ev'ry tongue. 

4 Ten thousand thousand lips shall join 

To hail this welcome morn, 
Which scatters blessings from its wings 
To nations yet unborn. 



57 HYMN. 7's. 

1 SAFELY through another week, 

God has brought us on our way ; 
Let us now a blessing seek, 

Waiting in his courts to-day: 
Day of all the week the best. 
Emblem of eternal rest. 

2 While we seek supplies of grace, 

Through the dear Redeemer's name ; 
Show thy reconciling face — 

Take away our sin and shame; 
From our worldly cares set free, 
May we rest this day in thee. 

3 May the gospel's joyful sound 

Conquer sinners — comfort saints; 
Make the fruits of grace abound, 

Bring relief from all complaints : 
Thus let all our Sabbaths prove. 
Till we join the church above. 



SABBATH MORNING. 299 



58 HYMN. 7's. 
The Sahhath Morning. 

1 IN this calm impressive hour, 
Let my pray'r ascend on high ; 
God of mercy, God of pow'r, 
Hear me when to thee I cry: 
Hear me from thy lofty throne, 
For the sake of Christ thy Son. 

2 With this morning's early ray. 
While the shades of night depart, . 
Let thy beams of light convey 
Joy and gladness to my heart: 
Now o'er all my steps preside, 
And for all my wants provide. 

3 O what joy that word affords, 
"Thou shalt reign o'er all the earth;" 
King of kings, and Lord of lords. 
Send thy gospel heralds forth : 

Now begin thy boundless sway, 
Usher in the glorious day, 

59 HYMN. C. M. 

The Resurrection Sahbatk 

1 BLEST morning, whose first dawning rays 

Beheld our rising God ; 
That saw him triumph o'er the dust. 
And leave his dark abode! 

2 In the cold prison of the tomb 

Our dear Redeemer lay, 
Till the revolving skies had brought 
The third, th' appointed day, 

3 Hell and the grave unite their force 

To hold our God in vain ; 
The sleeping conqueror arose, 
And burst their feeble chain. 



800 SABBATH EVENING. 

4 To thy great name, Almighty Lord, 
These sacred hours we pay. 
And loud hosannas shall proclaim 
The triumph of the day. 

60 HYMN. C. M. 

1 WHEN, on the third auspicious day, 
f While yet the blushing dawn 

Shed forth its earliest smiling ray 
To gild the rising morn; 

2 The " holy women" sought the place 

Where their belov'd was laid. 
And shining angels preach'd the grace 
That rais'd him from the dead ; 

3 They hasted from the hallow'd ground, 

Where his dear flesh had lain, 
To tell his mourning friends around, 
That Jesus lives again. 

4 This day, as days of older tmie, 

Is one of heav'nly joy ; 
Good tidings reach to ev'ry clime, 
And ev'ry tongue employ. 



SABBATH BVBNINe. 

61 HYMN. C. M. 

1 FREQUENT the day of God returns 

To shed its quick'ning beams ; 

And yet how slow devotion burns, 

How languid are its flames! 

2 Accept our faint attempts to love ; 

Our frailties, Lord, forgive : 

We would be like thy saints above. 

And praise thee while we live. 

3 Increase, O Lord, our faith and hope, 

And fit us to ascend. 
Where the assembly ne'er breaks up 
The Sabbath ne'er shall end; 



SABBATH EVENING. 301 

4 Where we shall breathe in heav'nly air, 
With heav'nly lustre shine; 
Before the throne of God appear, 
And feast on love divine; 

6 Where we, in high seraphic strains, 
Shall all our pow'rs employ ; 
Delighted range th' ethereal plains. 
And take our fill of joy. 

62 HYMN. L. M. 

The Eternal Sabbath. Heb. iv. 9. 

1 THINE earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love. 
But there's a nobler rest above ; 

To that our longing souls aspire. 
With ardent pangs of strong desire. 

2 No more fatigue, no more distress. 
Nor sin, nor hell, shall reach the place ; 
No groans to mingle with the songs. 
Which warble from immortal tongues. 

3 No rude alarms of raging foes ; 
No cares to break the long repose ; 
No midnight shade, no clouded sun, 
Obscures the lustre of thy throne. 

4 Around thy throne, grant we may meet, 
And give us but the lowest seat ; 
We'll shout thy praise, and join the song 
Of the triumphant, holy throng. 

63 HYMN. L. M. 

1 IS there a time when moments flow, 

More peacefully than all beside? 
It is, of all the times below, 
A Sabbath eve in summer tide. 

2 O then the setting sun smiles fair, 

And all below, and all above. 
The d iff'' rent forms of nature wear 
One universal garb of love. 

3 And then the peace that Jesus beams. 

The life of grace, the death of sin ; 



302 SABBATH EVENING. 

With nature's placid woods and streams, 
Is peace without, and peace within. 

4 DeHghtful scene ! a world at rest, 

A God all love, no grief nor fear ; 
A heav'nly hope, a peaceful breast, 
A smile unsullied by a tear. 

5 If heav'n be ever felt below, 

A scene so heav'nly, sure, as this, 
May cause a heart on earth to know 
Some foretaste of celestial bliss. 

6 Delightful hour, how soon will night 

Spread her dark mantle o'er thy reign; 
And morrow's quick returning light 
Must call us to the world again. 

7 Yet will there dawn at last a day, 

A Sun that never sets shall rise ; 
Night will not veil his ceaseless ray, 
The heav'nly Sabbath never dies ! 

64 HYMN. C. M. 

Evening Twilight, 

1 I LOVE to steal awhile away 

From every cumb'ring care. 
And spend the hours of setting day. 
In humble, grateful prayer. 

2 I love in solitude to shed 

The penitential tear. 
And all his promises to plead, 
Where none but God can hear. 

3 I love to think on mercies past, 

And future good implore, 
And all my cares and sorrows cast 
On him whom I adore. 

4 I love by faith to take a view 

Of brighter scenes in heav'n ; 
The prospect doth my strength renew 
While here by tempests driv'n. 

5 Thus, when life's toilsome day is o'er, 

May its departing ray 
Be calm as this impressive hour, 
And lead to endless day. 



FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. 303 

FOR THE BBaZNNING OF THE YEAR, 

65 HYMN. L. M. 

1 GREAT God ! we sing thy mighty hand ; 
By that supported still we stand : 

The op'ning year thy mercy shows ; 
Let mercy crown it till it close. 

2 By day, by night — at home, abroad, 
Still we are guarded by our God ; 
By his incessant bounty fed — 

By his unerring counsels led. 

3 With grateful hearts the past we own ; 
The future — all to us unknown — 
We to thy guardian care commit, 
And peaceful leave before thy feet. 

4 In scenes exalted or depress'd. 

Be thou our joy — and thou our rest ; 
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise, 
Ador'd through all our changing days. 

5 When death shall close our earthly songs. 
And seal in silence mortal tongues, 

Our helper, God, in whom we trust, 
In brighter worlds our souls shall boast. 

66 HYMN. L. M. 

1 ETERNAL God ! I bless thy name. 

The same thy power — thy grace the same ; 
The tokens of thy friendly care 
Begin, and close, and crown the year. 

2 Supported by thy guardian hand, 
Amid ten thousand deaths I stand. 
And see, when I survey thy ways. 
Ten thousand monuments of praise. 

3 Thus far thine arm has led me on — 
Thus far I make thy mercy known ; 
And while I tread this desert land, 
New mercies shall new songs demand. 



304 FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. 

4 My grateful voice on Jordan's shore, 
Shall raise one sacred pillar more ; 
Then bear in thy bright courts above, 
Inscriptions of immortal love. 



67 HYMN. 7's. 

1 WHILE with ceaseless course the sun 

Hasted through the former year, 
Many souls their race have run, 

Never more to meet us here : 
Fixed in an eternal state, 

They have done with all below ,* 
We a little longer wait, 

But how little — none can know. 

2 Spared to see another year, 

Let thy blessing meet us here ; 
Come, thy dying work revive, 

Bid thy drooping garden thrive ; 
Sun of Righteousness, arise ! 

Warm our hearts and bless our eyes : 
Let our prayer thy pity move; 

Make this year a time of love. 

3 Thanks for mercies past received, 

Pardon of our sins renew ; 
Teach us henceforth how to live 

With eternity in view; 
Bless thy word to old and young. 

Fill us with a Saviour's love; 
When our life's short race is run. 

May we dwell with thee above. 



68 HYMN. 5's & ll's. 

Jl JVew Year. 

1 COME, let us anew 

Our journey pursue, 
Roll round with the year. 
And never stand still, till the Master appear. 



FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. 305 

I Our life is a dream. 

Our time as a stream 
Glides swiftly away ; 
And the ftjgitive moment refuses to stay. 

The arrow is jflown, 
The moment is gone; 
The millennial year 
Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here. 

O that each in the day 
Of his coming may say, 
"I've fought my way through, 
Tve finish'd the work thou did'st give me to do !" 

O that each from his Lord 
May receive the good word, 
" Well and faithfully done ! 
Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne !" 



FOR THE CZ.OSE OF THE YEAR, 

69 HYMN. C. M. 

Reflections at the End of the Year. 

1 AND now, my soul, another year 

Of thy short life is past ; 
I cannot long continue here, 
And this may be my last. 

2 Much of my dubious life is gone, 

Nor will return again; 
And swift my passing moments run. 
The few that yet remain. 

3 Awake, my soul— with utmost care 

Thy true condition learn: 
What are thy hopes]— how sure? how fair? 
What is thy great concern? 

4 Behold, another year begins! 

Set out afresh for heaven; 
Seek pardon for thy former sins. 
In Christ so freely given. 



306 FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. 

5 Devoutly yield thyself to God, 
And on his grace depend ; 
With zeal pursue the heav'nly road, 
Nor doubt a happy end. 



70 HYMN. S. M. 

Rapid flight of Time. 

1 MY few revolving years, 

How swift they glide away ! 
How short the term of life appears, 
When past — 'tis but a day! — 

2 A dark and cloudy day, 

Made up of grief and sin ; 
A host of dang'rous foes without. 
And guilt and fear within. 

3 Lord, through another year. 

If thou permit my stay. 
With watchful care may I pursue 
The true and living way! 



71 HYMN. C. M. 

Praise for Providential Goodness, 

1 GOD of our lives, thy various praise 

Our voices shall resound : 
Thy hand directs our fleeting da)^s, 
And brings the seasons round. 

2 To thee shall grateful songs arise. 

Our Father and our Friend : 
Whose constant mercies from the skies, 
In genial streams descend. 

3 In ev'ry scene of life, thy care, 

In ev'ry age, we see ; 
And, constant as thy favours are, 
So let our praises be. 

4 Still may thy love, in every scene, 

To ev'ry age, appear; 
And let the same compassion deign 
To bless the op'ning year. 



THE SEASONS. 307 



72 HYMN. C. M. 

T^e House appointed for all living, 

1 HOW still and peaceful is the grave, 

Where, life's vain tumults past, 
Th' appointed house by heav'n's decree, 
Receives us all at last! 

2 The wicked there from troubling cease — 

Their passions rage no more; 
And there the weary pilgrim rests 
From all the toils he bore. 

3 All, leveird by the hand of death, 

Lie sleeping in the tomb, 
Till God in judgment calls them forth, 

To meet their final doom. 



THE SEASONS. 

73 HYMN. P. M. 

1 HOW pleasing is the voice 

Of God, our heav'nly King, 
Who bids the frosts retire, 
And wakes the lovely spring! 

Bright suns arise. 
The mild wind blows. 
And beauty glows. 

Thro' earth and skies. 

2 The morn, with glory crown'd, 

His hand arrays in smiles: 
He bids the eve decline, 
Rejoicing o'er the hills : 

The ev'ning breeze 
His breath perfumes; 
His beauty blooms 

In flow'rs and trees. 



308 THE SEASONS. 

3 With life he clothes the spring, 
The earth with summer warms: 
He spreads th' autumnal feast, 
And rides on wintry storms; 

His gifts divine 
Thro' all appear; 
And round the year 
His glories shine. 

74 HYMN. L. M. 

1 THE flow'ry spring, at God's command, 
Perfumes the air, and paints the land : 
The summer rays with vigour shine, 
To raise the corn and cheer the vine. 

2 His hand in autumn richly pours, 
Through all her coasts, redundant stores; 
And winters, soften'd by his care, 

No more the face of horror wear. 

3 The changing seasons, months and days, 
Demand successive songs of praise; 
And be the cheerful homage paid, 
With morning light and ev'ning shade. 

4 And oh, may each harmonious tongue 
In worlds unknown the praise prolong. 
And in those brighter courts adore, 
Where days and years revolve no more. 



75 HYMN. C. M. 

Spring, 

1 WHEN verdure clothes the fertile vale. 

And blossoms deck the spray. 
And fragrance breathes in ev'ry gale. 
How sweet the vernal day! 

2 Hark ! how the feather'd warblers sing ! 

'Tis nature's cheerful voice; 
Soft music hails the lovely spring. 
And woods and fields rejoice. 

3 O God of nature, and of grace. 

Thy heav'niy gifts impart; 
Then shall my meditation trace 
Spring blooming in my heart. 



THE SExVSONS. 309 



4 Inspir'd to praise, I then shall join 
Glad nature's cheerful song; 
And love, and gratitude divine 
Attune my joyful tongue. 



76 HYMN. S. M. 

The Spring, 

1 SWEET is the time of spring, 
When nature's charms appear; 

The birds with ceaseless pleasure sing, 

And hail the op'ning year: 

But sweeter far the spring 

Of wisdom and of grace, 
When children bless and praise their King 

Who loves the youthful race. 

2 Sweet is the dawn of day. 
When light just streaks the sky; 

When shades and darkness pass away, 

And morning's beams are nigh: 

But sweeter far the dawn 

Of piety in youth ; 
When doubt and darkness are withdrawn 

Before the light of truth. 

3 Sweet is the early dew, 
Which gilds the mountain's tops. 

And decks each plant and flow'r we view, 

With pearly glitt'ring drops: 

But sweeter far the scene 

On Zion's holy hill; 
When there the dew of youth is seen 

Its freshness to distil. 



77 HYMN. S. M. 

1 GREAT God, at thy command 

Seasons in order rise : 
Thy pow'r and love in concert reign 
Through earth, and seas, and skies. 

2 How balmy is the air ! 

How warm the sun's bright beams! 
While, to refresh the grounds, the rains 
Descend in gentle streams. 



810 THE SEASONS. 

3 With grateful praise we own 

Thy providential hand, 
While grass, and herbs, and waving corn, 
Adorn and bless the land. 

4 But greater still the gift 

Of thine incarnate Son ; 
By him forgiveness, peace, and joy, 
Through endless ages run. 



78 HYMN. 8's. 

1 THE winter is over and gone, 

The thrush whistles sweet on the spray, 
The turtle breathes forth her soft moan, 
The lark mounts and warbles away. 

2 Shall every creature around 

Their voices in concert unite. 
And I, the most favour'd, be found, 
In praising to take less delight! 

3 Awake, then, my harp, and my lute! 

Sweet organs, your notes softly swell! 
No longer my lips shall be mute, 
The Saviour's high praises to tell! 

4 His love in my heart shed abroad, 

My graces shall bloom as the spring 
This temple, his Spirit's abode, 
My joy, as my duty, to sing. 



79 HYMN. 7's. 

1 PLEASING spring again is here! 
Trees and fields in bloom appear! 
Hark! the birds, with artless lays. 
Warble their Creator's praise! 

2 Lord, afford a spring to me ! 
Let me feel like what I see: 
Ah ! my winter has been long, 
Chill'd my hopes, suppress'd my song. 

3 How the soul in winter mourns, 
Till the Lord, the Sun, returns! 
Till the Spirit's gentle rain 
Bids the heart revive again! 



THE SEASONS. 311 



O beloved Saviour, haste, 
Tell me all the storms are past: 
Speak, and by thy gracious voice 
Make my drooping soul rejoice. 



80 HYMN. C. M. 

Summer — A Harvest Hymn. 

1 TO praise the ever bounteous Lord, 

My soul, wake all thy pow'rs ; 
He calls, and at his voice come forth 
The smiling harvest hours. 

2 His cov'nant v^ith the earth he keeps ; 

My tongue, his goodness sing; 

Summer and winter know their time, 

His harvest crowns the spring. 

3 Well pleas'd the toiling swains behold 

The waving yellow crop; 
With joy they bear the sheaves away, 
And sow again in hope. 

4 Thus teach me, gracious God, to sow 

The seeds of righteousness; 
Smile on my soul, and with thy beams 
The rip'ning harvest bless. 

5 Then, in the last great harvest, I 

Shall reap a glorious crop; 

The harvest shall by far exceed 

What I have sow'd in hope. 



81 HYMN. C. M. 

Winter. 

1 STERN winter throws his icy chains. 

Encircling nature round; 
How bleak, how comfortless the plains. 
Late with gay verdure crown'd ! 

2 The sun withdraws his vital beams, 

And light and warmth depart ; 
And drooping lifeless, nature seems 
An emblem of my heart. 



312 THE SEASONS. 

3 My heart, where mental winter reigns, 

In night's dark mantle clad, 
Confin'd in cold, inactive chains, 
How desolate and sad! 

4 Return, O blissful Sun, and bring 

Thy soul-reviving ray; 
This mental winter shall be spring. 
This darkness cheerful day. 

5 O happy state, divine abode, 

Where spring eternal reigns ; 

And perfect day, the smile of God, 

Fills all the heav'nly plains 1 

6 Great Source of light, thy beams display, 

My drooping joys restore. 
And guide me to the seats of day. 
Where winter frowns no more. 



82 HYMN. L. M. 

Goodness of God in the Seasons. 

1 ON God the race of man depends, 
Far as the earth's remotest ends ; 
At his command the morning ray 
Smiles in the east, and leads the day. 

2 Seasons and times obey his voice ; 
The morn and ev'ning both rejoice 

To see the earth made soft with showers, 
Laden with fruit, and dress'd in flowers. 

3 The desert grows a fruitful field; 
Abundant food the valleys yield; 

The plains shall shout with cheerful voice. 
And neighbouring hills repeat their joys. 

4 Thy works pronounce thy power divine; 
O'er every field thy glories shine; 
Through ev'ry month thy gifts appear: 
Great God, thy goodness crowns the year. 

83 HYMN. C. M. 

1 THE Lord is good, the heav'nly King, 
He makes the earth his care; 
Visits the pastures ev'ry spring, 
And bids the grass appear. 



THE SEASONS. 813 

2 The times and seasons — days and hours, 

Heav'n, earth, and ah', are thine; 
When clouds distil in fruitful show'rs, 
The Author is divine. 

3 The soften'd ridges of the field 

Permit the corn to spring; 
The valleys rich provision yield, 
And all the laborers sing. 

4 The various months thy goodness crowns; 

How bounteous are thy ways! 
The bleating flocks spread o'er the downs, 
And shepherds shout thy praise. 



84 HYMN. L. M. 

1 SING to the Lord, exalt him high. 
Who spreads his clouds around the sky; 
There he prepares the fruitful rain. 
Nor lets the drops descend in vain. 

2 He makes the grass the hills adorn, 
And clothes the smiling fields with corn; 
The beasts with food his hands supply, 
And feed the ravens when they cry. 

3 What is the creature's skill or force. 
The vig'rous man, the warlike horse, 
The sprightly wit, the active limb ! 
All are too mean delights for him. 

4 His saints are lovely in his sight ; 
He views his children with delight ; 

He sees their hopes, he knows their fear, 
And finds and loves his image there. 



85 HYMN. L. M. 

1 LET Zion praise the mighty God, 
And make his honours known abroad ; 
For sweet the joy our songs to raise. 
And glorious is the work of praise. 

2 Our children live secure and blest ; 
Our shores have peace, our cities rest; 
He feeds our sons with finest wheat. 
And adds his blessings to their meat. 

14 



814 THE SEASONS. 

3 The changing seasons he ordains, 
The early and the latter rain^; 

His flakes of snow like wool he sends, 
And thus the springing corn defends. 

4 With hoary frost he strews the ground; 
His hail descends with dreadful sound ; 
His icy bands the rivers hold, 

And terror arms his wintry cold. 

5 He bids the warmer breezes blow, 
The ice dissolves, the waters flow ; 
But he hath nobler works and ways 
To call his people to his praise. 

6 Through all our land his laws are shown : 
His gospel through our borders known; 
He hath not thus reveal'd his word 

To every land— Praise ye the Lord! 

86 HYMN. C. M. 

1 WITH songs and honours sounding loud, 

Address the Lord on high; 
Over the heavens he spreads his cloud, 
And waters veil the sky. 

2 He sends his showers of blessings down 

To cheer the plains below; 
. He makes the grass the mountains crown, 
And corn in valleys grow. 

3 He gives the grazing ox his meat, 

He hears the ravens cry; 
But man, who tastes his finest wheat, 
Should raise his honours high. 

4 His steady counsels change the face 

Of the declining year; 
He bids the sun cut short his race. 
And wintry days appear. 

6 His hoary frost, his fleecy snow. 
Descend and clothe the ground ; 
The liquid streams forbear to flow, 
In icy fetters bound. 

6 When from his dreadful stores on high 
He pours the sounding hail, 
The wretch that dares his God defy 
Shall find his courage fail. 



THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 315 

7 He sends his word, and melts the snow, 

The fields no longer mourn ; 
He calls the warmer gales to blow, 
And bids the spring return. 

8 The changing wind, the flying cloud, 

Obey his mighty word ; 
With songs and honours sounding loud. 
Praise ye the sov'reign Lord. 



THE SPBSAD OF THIS aOSPEIi. 

87 HYMN. 8's, 7's, 4's. 
Prayer for a Revival, Ps. Jxxxv. 7. 

1 SAVIOUR, visit thy plantation: 

Grant us. Lord, a gracious rain! 
All will come to desolation. 
Unless thou return again. 

Lord, revive us; 
All our help must come from thee. 

2 Keep no longer at a distance; 

Shine upon us from on high, 
Lest, for want of thine assistance, 
Ev'ry plant should droop and die. 

3 Let our mutual love be fervent, 

Make us prevalent in pray'rs; 
Let each one esteem'd thy servant, 
Shun the world's bewitching snares. 

4 Break the tempter's fatal power; 

Turn the stony heart to flesh; 
And begin from this good hour 
To revive thy work afresh. 

88 HYMN. P. M. 

1 SOV'REIGN of worlds above, 
And Lord of all below, 
Thy faithfulness and love, 
Thy pow'r and mercy show; 
Fulfil thy word; 
Thy Spirit give; 
Let heathens live 
And praise the Lord. 



316 THE Sl^KEAD OF THE GOSPEL. 

2 On lands that lie beneath 

Foul superstition's sway, 
Whose horrid shades of death 
Admit no heav'nly ray, 

Blest Spirit! shine, 

Their hearts illume; 

Dispel the gloom 

With light divine. 

3 Father, who to thy Son 

Thy steadfast word has given, 
That thro' the earth shall run 
The news of peace with heav'n, 

Extend his fame ; 

Thy grace diffuse; 

And let the news 

The world reclaim. 

4 Few be the years that roll. 

Ere all shall worship thee; 
The travail of his soul, 
Soon let the Saviour see; 

O God of grace ! 

Thy pow'r employ, 

Fill earth with joy, 

And heav'n with praise. 



89 HYMN. C. M. 

1 OH, when shall Afric's sable sons 

Enjoy the heav'nly word ; 
And vassals, long enslaved, become 
The freemen of the Lord ? 

2 When shall the untutor'd heathen tribes, 

A dark, bewilder'd race, 
Sit down at our Immanuel's feet. 
And learn and sing his grace] 

3 Haste, sovereign mercy, and transform 

Their cruelty to love : 

Soften the tiger to a lamb. 

The vulture to a dove. 



THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 317 

90 HYMN. 8, 7, 4. 

1 O'ER the gloomy hills of darkness, 

Cheer'd by no celestial ray, 
Sun of Righteousness, arising, 
Bring the bright, the glorious day; 

Send the gospel 
To the earth's remotest bound. 

2 Kingdoms wide that sit in darkness! 

Grant them, Lord, the glorious light; 
And from eastern coast to western, 
May the morning chase the night; 

And redemption, 
Freely purchased, win the day. 

3 Fly abroad, thou mighty gospel — 

Win and conquer, never cease ; 
May thy lasting, wide dominions 
Multiply and still increase; • 

Sway thy sceptre, 
Saviour, all the world around. 

91 HYMN. L. M. 

1 SOV'REIGN of worlds ! display thy pow'r, 
Be this thy Zion's favoured hour; 

Bid the bright Morning Star arise, 
And point the nations to the skies. 

2 Set up thy throne where Satan reigns, 
On Afric's shore, on India's plains, 
On wilds and continents unknown; 
And be the universe thine own. 

3 Speak ! and the world shall hear thy voice ; 
Speak! and the desert shall rejoice; 
Scatter the gloom of heathen night, 

And bid all nations hail the light. 

92 HYMN. 8, 7, 4. 

For the Influence of the Spirit. 

1 WHO, but thou. Almighty Spirit, 
Can the heathen world reclaim ? 
Men may preach, but till thou favour, 
Heathens will be still the same: 

Mighty Spirit! 
Witness to the Saviour's name. 



318 THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 

2 Thou hast promised by the prophets, 

Glorious light in latter days: 
Come, and bless bewilder'd nations, 
Change our pray'rs and tears to praise ; 

Promis'd Spirit ! 
Round the world diffuse thy rays. 

3 All our hopes, and prayers, and labours, 

Must be vain without thine aid: 
But thou wilt not disappoint us — 
All is true that thou hast said 

Faithful Spirit ! 
O'er the world thine influence shed. 



93 HYMN. 7, 6. 

1 FROM Greenland's icy mountains, 

Fr(?hi India's coral strand: 
Where Afric's sunny fountains 

Roll down their golden sand; 
From many an ancient river. 

From many a palmy plain, 
They call us to deliver 

Their land from error's chain. 

2 What tho' the spicy breezes 

Blow soft o'er Ceylon's Isle, 
Tho' ev'ry prospect pleases, 

And only man is vile; 
In vain with lavish kindness 

The gifts of God are strown ; 
The heathen in his blindness 

Bows down to wood and stone. 

3 Shall we, whose souls are lighted 

With wisdom from on high, 
Shall we to men benighted 

The lamp of life deny? 
Salvation! O Salvation! 

The joyful sound proclaim. 
Till earth's remotest nation 

Has learn'd Messiah's name. 

4 Waft, waft, ye winds, his story, 

And you, ye waters, roll. 
Till, like a sea of glory. 
It spreads from pole to pole; 



THE SrilEAD OF THE GOSPEL. 319 

Till o'er our ransom'd nature, 

The Lamb for sinners slain, 
Redeemer, King, Creator, 

In bliss returns to reign. 



94 HYMN. C. M. 

1 GREAT Saviour, let thy pow'r divine 

O'er all the earth be known; 

Let all, to thee, their will resign, 

And make thy will their own. 

2 Perversion marks the guilty way, 

Which heathens madly tread; 
From all thy laws they go astray, 
And hasten to the dead. 

3 Thou, Saviour-God, hast pow'r alone 

To turn their wand'ring feet; 
To bend their souls before thy throne, 
Low at thy mercy-seat: 

4 For all the pow'r, beneath, above, 

Thy wounded hands sustain; 
Then sway the sceptre of thy love, 
And let thy mercy reign. 

95 HYMN. L. M. 

The Glory of God in his Works and in his Word, 

1 GREAT Sun of Righteousness, arise ! 

O bless the world with heavenly light ! 
Thy gospel makes the simple wise: 
Thy laws are pure — thy judgments right. 

2 Thy noblest wonders here we view. 

In souls renew'd and sins forgiv'n : — 
Lord, cleanse my sins — my soul renew. 
And make thy word my guide to heav'n. 



96 HYMN. L. M. 

Universal Reign of Christ. 

1 GREAT God ! whose universal sway 
The known and unknown worlds obey, 
Now give the kingdom to thy Son, 
Extend his pow'r — exalt his throne. 



20 THE SPIIEAD OF THE GOSPEL. 

2 As rain on meadows newly mown, 
So shall he send his influence down; 
His grace, on fainting souls, distils, 
Like heav'nly dew, on thirsty hills. 

3 The heathen lands, that lie beneath 
The shades of overspreading death, 
Revive at his first dawning light, 
And deserts blossom at the sight. 

4 The saints shall flourish in his days, 
Dress'd in the robes of joy and praise ; 
Peace, like a river, from his throne, 
Shall flow to nations yet unknown. 

97 HYMN. L. M. 

1 JESUS shall reign where'er the sun 
Doth his successive journeys run; 

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore, 
Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 

2 For him shall endless pray'r be made. 
And endless praises crown his head; 
His name, like sweet perfume, shall rise 
With ev'ry morning sacrifice. 

3 People and realms of ev'ry tongue 
Dwell on his love with sweetest song; 
And infant voices shall proclaim 
Their early blessings on his name. 

4 Blessings abound where'er he reigns. 
The joyful prisoner bursts his chains; 
The weary find eternal rest, 

And all the sons of want are blest. 

5 Let every creature rise and bring 
Peculiar honours to our king; 
Angels descend with songs again, 
And earth repeat the loud amen. 

98 HYMN. L. P. M, 

Rejoicing in View of God's Universal Reign. 
1 LET all the earth their voices raise, 
To sing a psalm of lofty praise. 

To sing and bless Jehovah's name ; 
His glory let the heathen know, 
His wonders to the nations show. 

And all his saving works proclaim. 



THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 821 

Oh ! haste the day — the glorious hour, 
When earth shall feel his saving pow'r, 

And barbVous nations fear his name : 
Then shall the race of man confess 
The beauty of his holiness, 

And in his courts his grace proclaim. 



99 HYMN. S. M. 

1 I LOVE thy kingdom, Lord, 

The house of thine abode. 
The church, our blest Redeemer sav'd 
With his own precious blood. 

2 I love thy church, O God ! 

Her walls before thee stand, 
Dear as the apple of thine eye, 
And graven on thy hand. 

3 For her my tears shall fall ; 

For her my prayers ascend ; 
To her my cares and toils be given, 
Till toils and cares shall end. 

4 Beyond my highest joy 

I prize her heav'nly ways. 
Her sweet communion — solemn vows 
Her hymns of love and praise. 

5 Jesus, thou friend divine, 

Our Saviour, and our King, 
Thy hand from every snare and foe, 
Shall great deliv'rance bring. 

6 Sure as thy truth shall last, 

To Zion shall be giv'n 
The brightest glories earth can yield, 
And brighter bliss of heaven. 



100 HYMN. C. M. 

Christ crowned as Lord of all. 

1 ALL hail, the great ImmanuePs name! 
Let angels prostrate fall: 
Bring forth the royal diadem. 
And crown him Lord of all 
14* 



822 THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. 

2 Crown him, ye martyrs of our God, 

Who from his altar call ; 
Praise him who shed for you his blood. 
And crown him Lord of all. 

3 Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, 

A remnant weak and small, 
Hail him who saves you by his grace, 
And crown him Lord of all. 

4 Ye Gentile sinners, ne'er forget 

The wormwood and the gall; 
Go spread your trophies at his feet. 
And crown him Lord of all. 

5 Let ev'ry kindred — ev'ry tribe, 

On this terrestrial ball, 
To him all majesty ascribe. 
And crown him Lord of all. 

6 Oh ! that with yonder sacred throng, 

We at his feet may fall; 
And join the everlasting song. 
And crown him Lord of all. 



101 HYMN P. M. 

1 SOV'REIGN of worlds above, 

And Lord of all below, 
Thy faithfulness and love, 
Thy power and mercy show. 
Fulfil thy word, 

Thy Spirit give; 
Let heathens live. 
And praise the Lord. 

2 Few be the years that roll, 

Ere all shall worship thee; 
The travail of his soul 
Soon let the Saviour see: 
O God of grace ! 

Thy power employ; 
Fill earth with joy. 
And heav'n with praise. 

103 HYMN. 7's. 

1 WAKE the song of jubilee. 
Let it echo o'er the sea! 
Now is come the promis'd hour; 
Jesus reigns with sov'reign pow'r! 



EARLY PIETY. 323 

2 All ye nations, join and sing, 

" Christ, of lords and kings is King !" 
Let it sound from shore to shore, 
Jesus reigns for evermore! 

3 Now the desert lands rejoice, 
And the islands join their voice; 
Yea, the whole creation sings, 

" Jesus is the King of kings." 

103 HYMN. L. M. 

Exhortation to Universal Praise. 

1 FROM all that dwell below the skies, 
Let the Creator's praise arise: 

Let the Redeemer's name be sung, 
Through ev'ry land — by ev'ry tongue. 

2 Eternal are thy mercies, Lord ; 
Eternal truth attends thy word; 

Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, 
Till suns shall rise and set no more. 



EARZaY PIETY. 

104 HYMN. L. M. 

1 NOW in the heat of youthful blood, 
Remember your Creator, God : 
Behold the months come hast'ning on, 
When you shall say — " My joys are gone.'* 

2 Behold, the aged sinner goes, 
Oppressed with guilt and heavy woes, 
Down to the regions of the dead, 
With endless curses on his head. 

3 The dust returns to dust again; 
The soul, in agony of pain. 
Ascends to God — not there to dwell, 
But hears her doom — and sinks to hell. 

4 Eternal King! I fear thy name; 
Teach me to know how frail I am : 
And when my soul must hence remove, 
Give me a mansion in thy love. 



324 EARLY PIETY. 

105 HYMN. C. M. 

Youth admonished to remember their Creator. 

1 CHILDREN, to your Creator, God, 

Your early honours pay ; 
While vanity and youthful blood 
Would tempt your thoughts astray. 

2 Be wise — and make his favour sure, 

Before the mournful day, 
When youth and mirth are known no more, 
And life and strength decay. 

3 The mem'ry of his mighty name 

Demands your first regard; 
Nor dare indulge a meaner flame, 
Till you have lov'd the Lord. 

106 HYMN. C. M. 

1 WHILE in the tender years of youth, 

In nature's smiling bloom. 
Ere age arrive, and trembling wait 
Its summons to the tomb; — 

2 Remember thy Creator, God; 

For him thy pow'rs employ; 
Make him thy fear, thy love, thy hope, 
Thy portion, and thy joy. 

3 He shall defend and guide thy course 

Through life's uncertain sea. 
Till thou art landed on the shore 
Of blest eternity. 

107 HYMN. S. M. 

The Young asking for Divine Guidance, 

1 FROM earliest dawn of life, 

Thy goodness we have shared; 
And still we live to sing thy praise, 
By sov'reign mercy spared. 

2 To learn and do thy will, 

O Lord, our hearts incline; 
And o'er the paths of future life 
Command thy light to shine. 



EARLY PIETY. 325 

3 While taught thy word of truth, 

May we that word receive; 
And when we hear of Jesus' name, 
In that blest name believe! 

4 O, let us never tread 

The broad, destructive road, 
But trace those holy paths which lead 
To glory, and to God. 

108 HYMN. S. M. 

1 MY son, know thou the Lord, 

Thy father's God obey: 
Seek his protecting care by night, 
His guardian hand by day. 

2 Call) while he may be found, 

And seek him while he's near; 
Serve him with all thy heart and mind. 
And worship him with fear. 

3 If thou wilt seek his face. 

His ear will hear thy cry ; 
Then shalt thou find his mercy sure. 
His grace forever nigh. 

4 But if thou leave thy God, 

Nor choose the path to heav'n; 
Then shalt thou perish in thy sins. 
And never be forgiv'n. 

109 HYMN. C. M. 

Youth. 

1 COME, let us now forget our mirth. 

And think that we must die; 
What are our best delights on earth, 
Compar'd with those on high! 

2 Our pleasures here will soon be past — 

Our brightest joys decay; 
But pleasures there for ever last. 
And cannot fade away. 

3 Here sins and sorrows we deplore. 

With many cares distrest; 
But there the mourners weep no more, 
And there the weary rest. 



S26 EARLY PIETY. 

4 Our dearest friends, when death shall call, 

At once must hence depart; 
But there we hope to meet them all, 
And never, never part. 

5 Then let us love and serve the Lord, 

With all our youthful pow'rs; 
And we shall gain this great reward, 
This glory shall be ours. 



110 HYMN. C. M. 

1 RELIGION is the chief concern 

Of mortals here below ; 
May I its great importance learn. 
Its sov'reign virtue know! 

2 Religion should our thoughts engage. 

Amidst our youthful bloom; 
'Twill fit us for declining age, 
And for the awful tomb. 



Ill HYMN. L. M. 

1 YE lovely bands of blooming youth, 
Warn'd by the voice of heav'nly truth. 
Now yield to Christ your youthful prime, 
With all your talents and your time. 

2 Think on your end, nor thoughtless say, 
"Fll put far off the evil day;" 

Ah ! not a moment's in your pow'r, 
And death stands ready at the door, 

3 Eternity! — how near it rolls! 
Count the vast value of your souls ! 
Beware ! and count the awful cost. 
What they have gain'd whose souls are lost. 

4 Pride, sinful pleasures, lusts and snares. 
Beset your hearts, your eyes, your ears — 
Take the alarm — the danger fly! 

" Lord ! save me," be your earnest cry. 



EARLY PIETY. 827 



112 HYMN. S. M. 

Prayer of a Youth. Ps. cxix. 9. 

1 WITH humble heart and tongue, 

My God, to thee I pray; 
Oh, make me learn, while I am young, 
How I may cleanse my way. 

2 Make an unguarded youth 

The object of thy care ; 
Help me to choose the way of truth. 
And jfly from every snare. 

3 My heart, to folly prone, 

Renew by power divine; 
Unite it to thyself alone, 
And make me wholly thine. 

4 Oh, let thy word of grace 

My warmest thoughts employ; 
Be this, through all my following days, 
My treasure and my joy. 

5 To what thy laws impart. 

Be my whole soul inclin'd ; 
Oh, let them dwell within my heart, 
And sanctify my mind. 

6 May thy young servant learn, 

By these to cleanse his way; 
And may I here the path discern 
That leads to endless day. 

113 HYMN. L. M. 

1 HOW soft the words my Saviour speaks ! 

How kind the promises he makes! 
A bruised reed he never breaks. 
Nor will he quench the smoking flax. 

2 The humble poor he won't despise, 

Nor on the contrite sinner frown ; 
His ear is open to their cries, 
He quickly sends salvation down. 

3 When piety, in early minds, 

Like tender buds, begins to sfioot, 
He guards the plants from threat'ning winds, 
And ripens blossoms into fruit. 



328 MISCELLANEOUS. 

4 With humble souls he bears a part 

In all the sorrows they endure; 
Tender and gracious is his heart, 
His promise is for ever sure. 

5 He sees the struggles that prevail 

Between the powers of grace and sin ; 
He kindly listens while they tell 
The bitter pangs they feel within. 

6 Though press'd with fears on every side, 

They know not how the strife may end 
Yet he will soon the cause decide, 
And judgment unto vict'ry send. 



MISCI1I.Z.ANE0US. 

114 HYMN. C. M. 

1 WHILST thee I seek, protecting Power! 

Be my vain wishes still'd ; 

And may this consecrated hour 

With better hopes be fill'd. 

2 Thy love the pow'r of thought bestow'd, 

To thee my thoughts would soar: 
Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd, 
That mercy I adore. 

3 In each event of life, how clear 

Thy ruling hand I see! 
Each blessing to my soul most dear, 
Because conferr'd by thee. 

4 In ev'ry joy that crowns my days, 

In ev'ry pain I bear, 
My heart shall find delight in praise, 
Or seek relief in pray'r. 

6 When gladness wings my favour'd hour, 
Thy love my thoughts shall fill; 
Resign'd, when storms of sorrow low'r, 
My soul shall meet thy will. 

My lifted eye, without a tear. 
The gath'ring storm shall see; 

My steadfast heart shall know no fear ; 
That heart will rest on thee. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 329 



115 HYMN. 8 s, 7's, and 4's. 

God^ the Pilgrirri's Guide, 

1 GUIDE me, O thou great Jehovah, 

Pilgrim through this barren land; 
I am weak, but thou art mighty ; 
Hold me with thy powerful hand: 

Bread of heaven, 
Feed me till I want no more. 

2 Open, Lord, the crystal fountain, 

Whence the healing waters flow; 
Let the fiery, cloudy pillar. 

Lead me all my journey through : 

Strong Deliv'rer, 
Be thou still my strength and shield. 

3 When I tread the verge of Jordan, 

Bid my anxious fears subside; 
Death of death, and hell's destruction, 
Land me safe on Canaan's side: 

Songs of praises 
I will ever give to thee. 



116 HYMN. L. M. 

Crucifixion to the World. 

1 WHEN I survey the wond'rous cross, 
On which the Prince of glory died, 
My richest gain I count but loss, 
And pour contempt on all my pride. 

2 Forbid it. Lord, that I should boast. 
Save in the death of Christ, my God; 
All the vain things that charm me most, 
I sacrifice them to his blood. 

3 See, from his head, his hands, his feet. 
Sorrow and love flow mingled down! 
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet. 
Or thorns compose so rich a crown? 

4 Were the wide realm of nature mine. 
That were a present far too small; 
Love so amazing, so divine, 
Demands my soul, my life, my all. 



330 MISCELLANEOUS. 

117 HYMN. C. M. 

Holy Fortitude, 

1 AM I a soldier of the cross"? 

A follower of the Lamb ! 
And shall I fear to own his cause, 
Or blush to speak his name] 

2 Shall I be carried to the skies, 

On flow'ry beds of ease, 
While others fought to win the prize, 
And sail'd through bloody seas] 

3 Are there no foes for me to face] 

Must I not stem the flood] 
Is this vain world a friend to grace, 
To help me on to God] 

4 Sure I must fight, if I would reign ; 

Increase my courage, Lord, 
To bear the cross, endure the shame, 
Supported by thy word. 

5 The saints, in all this glorious war, 

Shall conquer, tho' they die; 

They see the triumph from afar, 

With faith's discerning eye. 

118 HYMN. C. M. 

Salvation welcomed, 

1 SALVATION! O, the joyful sound ! 

'Tis pleasure to our ears: 
A sovereign balm for every wound, 
A cordial for our fears. 

2 Buried in sorrow and in sin, 

At hell's dark door we lay; 
But we arise by grace divine 
To see a heav'nly day. 

3 Salvation ! let the echo fly 

The spacious earth around, 

While all the armies of the sky 

Conspire to raise the sound. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 331 



119 HYMN. L. M. 

A Broken and a Contrite Heart. 

1 SHOW pity, Lord ; O Lord, forgive ; 
Let a repenting rebel live ; 

Are not thy mercies large and free? 
May not a sinner trust in thee ? 

2 O wash my soul from every sin, 

And make my guilty conscience clean; 
Here on my heart the burden lies, 
And past offences pain mine eyes. 

3 My lips with shame my sins confess, 
Against thy law, against thy grace ; 
Lord, should thy judgments grow severe, 
I am condemned, but thou art clear. 

4 Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, 
Whose hope, still hov'ring round thy word, 
Would light on some sweet promise there 
Some sure support against despair. 

120 HYMN. C. M. 

Repentance at the Cross^ 

1 'TWAS for my sins, my dearest Lord 

Hung on the cursed tree. 
And groan'd away a dying life 
For thee, my soul, for thee. 

2 0, how I hate those sins of mine 

That shed the Saviour's blood; 
That pierc'd and nail'd his sacred flesh 
Fast to the fatal wood! 

3 Whilst with a melting broken heart 

My murder'd Lord I view, 
I here renounce my darling sins, 
And slay the murd'rers too. 

121 HYMN. L. M. 

Sufferings and Death. 

1 STRETCH'D on the cross, the Saviour dies; 
Hark! his expiring groans arise: 
See from his hands, his feet, his side, 
Runs down the sacred crimson tide. 



332 MISCELLANEOUS. 

2 But life attends the deathful sound, 
And flows from ev'ry bleeding wound; 
The vital stream, how free it flows, 
To save and cleanse his rebel foes! 

3 Can I survey this scene of wo, 
Where mingling grief and wonder flow ; 
And yet my heart unmov'd remain, 
Insensible to love, or pain 1 

4 Come, dearest Lord, thy grace impart, 
To warm this cold, this stupid heart ! 
'Till all its pow'rs and passions move 
In melting grief, and ardent love. 



122 HYMN. S%7% 4's. 

It is finished. John xix, 30. 

1 HARK I the voice of love and mercy! 

Sounds aloud from Calvary ! 
See, it rends the rocks asunder — 
Shakes the earth and veils the sky! 

" It is finished !"— 
Hear the Saviour — dying — cry. 

2 It is finish'd ! — Oh, what pleasure 

Do these precious words aflbrd ! 
Heav'nly blessings without measure. 
Flow to us from Christ the Lord: 

It is finish'd !— 
Saints the dying words record, 

3 Finish'd — all the types and shadows 

Of the ceremonial law ! 
Finish'd — all that God had promised; 
Death and hell no more shall awe: 

It is finish'd !— 
Saints, from hence your comforts draw. 

4 Tune your harps anew, ye seraphs, — 

Join to sing the pleasing theme ! 
All on earth, and all in heav'n. 
Join to praise Immanuel's name: 

Halleluiah ! 
Glory to the bleeding Lamb! 



MISCELLANEOUS. 383 



123 HYMN. C. M. 

Breathing' after the Holy Spirit, 

1 COME, Holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove, 

With all thy quick'ning pow'rs, — 
Kindle a flame of sacred love 
In these cold hearts of ours. 

2 In vain we tune our formal songs ; 

In vain we strive to rise; 
Hosannas languish on our tongues, 
And our devotion dies. 

3 Dear Lord ! and shall we ever live 

At this poor dying rate] 
Our love so faint, so cold to thee, 
And thine to us so great! 

4 Come, Holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove, 

With all thy quick'ning pow'rs, — 
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love. 
And that shall kindle ours. 



124 HYMN. L. M. 

Parting with carnal joys. 

1 I SEND the joys of earth away ; 
Away, ye tempters of the mind, 
False as the smooth deceitful sea, 
And empty as the whistling wind. 

2 Your streams were floating me along, 
Down to the gulf of black despair 
And whilst I listen'd to your song, 
Your streams had e'en conveyed me there. 

3 Lord, I adore thy matchless grace. 
That warn'd me of that dark abyss; 
That drew me from those treach'rous seas, 
And bade me seek superior bliss. 

4 Now to the shining realms above, 

I stretch my hands, and glance my eyes ; 
Oh, for the pinions of a dove. 
To bear me to the upper skies. 



334 MISCELLANEOUS. 



135 HYMN. 7's. 

1 JESUS, lover of my soul, 

Let me to thy bosom fly, 
While the billows near me roll, 

While the tempest still is high; 
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide, 

Till the storm of life be past; 
Safe into the haven guide. 

Oh, receive my soul at last! 

2 Other refuge have I none; 

Lo ! I, helpless, hang on thee ; 
Leave, Oh, leave me not alone, 

Lest I basely shrink and flee; 
Thou art all my trust and aid. 

All my help from thee I bring; 
Cover my defenceless head 

With the shadow of thy wing. 

3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want; 

Boundless love in thee I find: 
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, 

Heal the sick, and lead the blind. 
Just and holy is thy name: 

I am all unrighteousness; 
Vile and full of sin I am, 

Thou art full of truth and grace. 

4 Plenteous grace with thee is found, 

Grace to pardon all my sin ; 
Let the healing streams abound. 

Make and keep me pure within. 
Thou of life the fountain art. 

Freely let me take of thee : 
Reign, O Lord, within my heart. 

Reign to all eternity 

126 HYMN. 7, 6. 

Pilgrim's Song. 

1 RISE, my soul, and stretch thy wings, 

Thy better portion trace; 
Rise from transitory things, 

Tow'rds heav'n thy native place. 
Sun, and moon, and stars decay — 

Time shall soon this earth remove; 
Rise, my soul, and haste away 

To seats prepared above. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 835 



2 Rivers to the ocean run, 

Nor stay in all their course : 
Fires ascending seek the sun 

Both speed them to their source; 
So a soul that's born of God, 

Pants to view his glorious face; 
Upward tends to his abode, 

To rest in his embrace. 

3 Fly me riches, fly me cares. 

While I that coast explore; 
Flatt'ring world, with all thy snares, 

Solicit me no more. 
Pilgrims fix not here their home, 

Strangers tarry but a night; 
When the last dear morn is come, 

They'll rise to joyful light. 

4 Cease, ye pilgrims, cease to mourn, 

Press onward to the prize; 
Soon the Saviour will return, 

Triumphant in the skies: 
There we'll join the heav'nly train, 

Welcom'd to partake the bliss ; 
Fly from sorrow and from pain. 

To realms of endless peace. 

127 HYMN. 8,7,4. 

1 YES ! we trust the day is breaking; 

Joyful times are near at hand: 
God, the mighty God, is speaking 
By his word in ev'ry land: 

When he chooses. 
Darkness flies at his command. 

2 Let us hail the joyful season ; 

Let us hail the dawning ray : 
When the Lord appears, there's reason 
To expect a glorious day: 

At his presence 
Gloom and darkness flee away. 

3 While the foe becomes more daring; 

While he enters like a flood ; 
God, the Saviour, is preparing 
Means to spread his truth abroad; 

Ev'ry language 
Soon shall tell the love of God. 



836 MISCELLANEOUS. 

4 God of Jacob, high and glorious, 
Let thy people see thy hand; 
Let the gospel be victorious, 
Through the world in every land; 

And the idols 
Perish, Lord, at thy command. 

128 HYMN. C. M. 

Walking with God, Gen. v. 24. 

1 O FOR a closer walk with God, 

A calm and heav'nly frame, 
And light to shine upon the road 
That leads me to the lamb. 

2 Where is the blessedness I knew 

When first I saw the Lord] 
Where is the soul-refreshing view 
Of Jesus and his word] 

3 What peaceful hours I then enjoy'd ! 

How sweet their mem'ry still! 
But now I find an aching void, 
The world can never fill. 

4 Return, O holy Dove, return. 

Sweet messenger of rest ! 
I hate the sins that made thee mourn, 
And drove thee from my breast. 

6 The dearest idol I have known, 
Whate'er that idol be, 
Help me to tear it from thy throne. 
And worship only thee. 

6 So shall my walk be close with God, 
Calm and serene my frame! 
And purer light shall mark the road 
That leads me to the Lamb. 

129 HYMN. CM. 

1 HOW vain are all things here below. 

How false and yet how fair ! 
Each pleasure has its poison too. 
And every sweet a snare. 

2 The brightest things below the sky 

Give but a flattering light; 
We should suspect some danger nigh. 
Where we possess delight. 



THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 337 



3 Our dearest joys, and nearest friends, 

The partners of our blood, 
How they divide our wav'ring minds, 
And leave but half for God ! 

4 The fondness of a creature's love, 

How strong it strikes the sense! 
Thither the warm affections move, 
Nor can we call them thence. 

5 Dear Saviour ! let thy beauties be 

My soul's eternal food; 
And grace command my heart away 
From all created good. 



THE HOZ.Y SCnZPTURSS. 

130 HYMN. C. M. 

Revelation welcomed, 

1 HAIL, sacred truth ! whose piercing rays 

Dispel the shades of night ; 

Diffusing o'er the mental world. 

The healing beams of light. 

2 Jesus, thy word, with friendly aid, 

Restores our wandering feet; 
Converts the sorrows of the mind 
To joys divinely sweet. 

3 Oh ! send thy light and truth abroad. 

In all their radiant blaze; 
And bid th' admiring world adore 
The glories of thy grace. 



131 HYMN. L. M. 

Divine Authority of the Bible. 

1 'TWAS by an order from the Lord, 
The ancient prophets spoke his word; 
His Spirit did their tongues inspire, 
And warm their hearts with heav'nly fire. 

15 



338 THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 

2 Great God ! mine eyes with pleasure look 
On the dear volume of thy book; 
There my Redeemer's face I see, 

And read his name who died for me. 

3 Let the false raptures of the mind 
Be lost and vanish in the wind : 
Here I can fix my hope secure; 
This is thy word — and must endure. 



132 HYMN. C. P. M. 

1 HOW precious, Lord, thy sacred word ! 
What light and joy those leaves afford 

To souls in deep distress! 
Thy precepts guide our doubtful way, 
Thy fear forbids our feet to stray, 

Thy promise leads to rest. 

2 Thy threat'nings wake our slumb'ring eyes, 
And warn us where our danger lies ; 

But 'tis thy gospel, Lord, 
That makes the guilty conscience clean, 
Converts the soul, and conquers sin, 

And gives a free reward. 



133 HYMN. C. M. 

1 OPPRESS'D with guilt, and full of fears, 

I come to thee, my Lord ; 
While not a ray of hope appears, 
But in thy holy word. 

2 The volume of my Father's grace 

Does all my grief dispel ; 
Here I behold my Saviour's face. 
And learn to do his will. 

3 Here living water freely flows, 

To cleanse me from my sin; 
'Tis here the tree of knowledge grows, 
Nor danger dwells therein. 

4 O ! may thy counsels, mighty God, 

My roving feet command ; 
Nor I forsake the happy road, 
That leads to thy right hand. 



THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 839 



134 HYMN. S. M. 

1 BEHOLD, the morning sun 

Begins his glorious way; 
His beams through all the nations run, 
And life and light convey. 

2 But where the gospel comes, 

It spreads diviner light, 
It calls dead sinners from their tombs, 
And gives the blind their sight. 

3 How perfect is thy word ! 

And all thy judgments just ! 
Forever sure thy promise, Lord, 
And we securely trust. 

4 My gracious God, how plain 

Are thy directions given! 
O! may I never read in vain, 
But find the path to heaven. 



135 HYMN. C. M. 

1 HOW shall the young secure their hearts, 

And guard their lives from sin ] 
Thy word the choicest rules imparts, 
To keep the conscience clean. 

2 'Tis like the sun — a heavenly light, 

That guides us all the day; 
And, through the dangers of the night, 
A lamp to lead our way. 

3 Thy precepts make me truly wise ; 

I hate the sinner's road; 
I hate my own vain thoughts that rise, 
But love thy law, my God. 

4 Thy word is everlasting truth, 

How pure is every page! — 
That holy book shall guide our youth, 
And well support our age. 



340 AFFLICTIONS AND DEATH. 

AFFIiXOTZONS AND DEATB. 

136 HYMN. S^andrs. 

Mourners comforted, 

1 CEASE, ye mourners, cease to languish, 

O'er the grave of those you love ; 
Pain, and death, and night, and anguish, 
Enter not the world above. 

2 While our silent steps are straying, 

Lonely, through night's deep'ning shade, 
Glory's brightest beams are playing 
Round th' immortal spirit's head. 

3 Light and peace at once deriving 

From the hand of God most high, 
In his glorious presence living, 
They shall never-— never die. 

4 Endless pleasure, pain excluding, 

Sickness there, no more can come ; 
There no fear of wo, intruding. 
Sheds o'er heav'n a moment's gloom. 

5 Now, ye mourners, cease to languish 

O'er the grave of those you love ; 
Far remov'd from pain and anguish, 
They are chanting hymns above. 

137 HYMN. L. M. 

Death of the Righteous, 

1 HOW bless'd the righteous when he dies I 
When sinks a weary soul to rest, 

How mildly beam the closing eyes, 
How gently heaves th' expiring breast ! 

2 So fades a summer cloud away, 

So sinks the gale when storms are o'er, 
So gently shuts the eye of day, 
So dies a wave along the. shore. 

3 A holy quiet reigns around, 

A calm which life nor death destroys ; 
Nothing disturbs that peace profound 
Which his unfetter'd soul enjoys. 



AFFLICTIONS AND DEATH. 341 

4 FarewelJ, conflicting hopes and fears, 
Where lights and shades alternate dwell; 
How bright th' unchanging morn appears ! 
Farewell, inconstant world, farewell. 

138 HYMN. C. M. 

Dying in the Lord, 

1 HEAR what the voice from heav'n proclaims, 

For all the pious dead; 
Sweet is the savour of their names, 
And soft their sleeping bed. 

2 They die in Jesus, and are bless'd; 

How kind their slumbers are! 
From suff' rings, and from sins releas'd, 
And freed from ev'ry snare. 

3 Far from this world of toil and strife, 

They're present with the Lord ; 
The labours of their mortal life 
End in a large reward. 

139 HYMN. C. M. 

Mourning with Hope. 

1 THAT once-lov'd form, now cold and dead. 

Each mournful thought employs ; 
And nature weeps, her comforts fled, 
And wither'd all her joys. 

2 Hope looks beyond the bounds of time; 

When what we now deplore. 

Shall rise in full immortal prime. 

And bloom to fade no more. 

3 Then cease, fond nature, cease thy tears, 

Religion points on high; 
There everlasting spring appears. 
And joys that cannot die. 

140 HYMN. C. M. 

Prayer for Support in Death, 

1 WHEN, bending o'er the brink of life, 
My trembling soul shall stand, 
And wait to pass death's awful flood. 
Great God, at thy command. 



342 AFELICTIONS AND DEATH. 

2 Thou source of life and joy supreme, 

Whose arm alone can save, 
Dispel the darkness that surrounds 
The entrance to the grave. 

3 Lay thy supporting, gentle hand 

Beneath my sinking head, 
And let a beam of life divine 
Illume my dying bed. 

141 HYMN. L. M. 

Tfve Grave, Job iii. 17. 

1 THE grave is now a favour'd spot — 

To saints who sleep, in Jesus bless'd; 
For there the wicked trouble not, 
And there the weary are at rest. 

2 At rest in Jesus' faithful arms; 

At rest as in a peaceful bed : 
Secure from all the dreadful storms, 
Which round this sinful world are spread, 

3 Thrice happy souls, who're gone before 

To that inheritance divine! 
They labour, sorrow, sigh no more, 
But bright in endless glory shine. 

4 Then let our mournful tears be dry, 

Or in a gentle measure flow ; 
We hail them happy in the sky, 
And joyful wait our call to go. 

142 HYMN. 8's. 

Death of a Brother, 

1 HOW blest is our brother, bereft 

Of all that could burden his mind; 
How easy the soul that has left 

This wearisome body behind ! 
Of evil incapable thou, 

Whose relics with envy I see, 
No longer in misery now, 

No longer a sinner like me. 

2 This earth is affected no more 

With sickness, or shaken with pain ; 
The war in the members is o'er. 
And never shall vex him again : 



AFFLICTIONS AND DEATH. 343 

No anger henceforward, or shame, 

Shall redden his innocent clay; 
Extinct is the animal flame, 

And passion is vanish'd away. 

3 The lids he so seldom could close, 

By sorrow forbidden to sleep, 
SeaPd up in eternal repose. 

Have strangely forgotten to weep ; 
These fountains can yield no supplies — 

These hollows from water are free ; 
The tears are all wiped from those eyes, 

And evil they never shall see. 

4 To mourn and to suffer is mine, 

While bound in a prison I breathe. 
And still for deliverance pine. 

And press to the issues of death. 
What now with my tears I bedew, 

Oh, shall I not shortly become ! 
My spirit created anew. 

Ere I am consigned to the tomb ! 

143 HYMN. 8's. 

Death of a Sister, 

1 'TIS finish'd ! the conflict is past. 

The heav'n-born spirit is fled ; 
Her wish is accomplish'd at last, 

And now she's entomb'd with the dead. 
The rnonths of affliction are o'er. 

The days and the nights of distress; 
We see her in anguish no more — 

She's gained her happy release. 

No sickness, or sorrow, or pain, 

Shall ever disquiet her now ; 
For death to her spirit was gain, 

Since Christ was her life when below. 
Her soul has now taken its flight 

To mansions of glory above. 
To mingle with angels of light, 

And dwell in the kingdom of love. 

3 The victory now is obtain'd; 

She's gone her dear Saviour to see; 
Her wishes she fully has gain'd — 
She's now where she longed to be. 



344 AFELICTIONS AND DEATH. 

Then let us forbear to complain, 
That she has now gone from our sight; 

We soon shall behold her again, 
With new and redoubled delight, 

144 HYMN. C. M. 

Death of a Young Person. 

1 WHEN blooming youth is snatch'd away 

By death's resistless hand, 
Our hearts the mournful tribute pay, 
Which pity must demand. 

2 While pity prompts the rising sigh, 

Oh, may this truth, imprest 
With awful pow'r — " I too must die"— 
Sink deep in ev'ry breast. 

3 The voice of this alarming scene 

May ev'ry heart obey; 
Nor be the heav'nly warning vain. 
Which calls to watch and pray. 

4 Oh, let us fly, to Jesus fly. 

Whose pow'rful arm can save; 
Then shall our hopes ascend on high, 
And triumph o'er the grave. 

145 HYMN C. M. 

Death and Burial of Christians, 

1 WHY do we mourn departing friends, 

Or shake at death's alarms ] 
'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends 
To call them to his arms. 

2 Are we not tending upward too. 

To heav'n's desired abode? 
Why should we wish the hours more slow, 
Which keep us from our God ? 

3 Why should we tremble to convey 

Their bodies to the tomb] 
'Twas there the Saviour's body lay. 
And lefl; a long perfume. 

4 The graves of all his saints he blest, 

And soften'd ev'ry bed : 
Where should the dying members rest, 
But with their dying Head? 



AFFLICTION'S AND DEATH. 345 

5 Thence he arose, ascending high, 

And show'd our feet the way: 
Up to the Lord his saints shall fly 
At the great rising day. 

6 Then let the last loud trumpet sound, 

And bid our kindred rise; 
Awake, ye nations under ground! 
Ye saints! ascend the skies. 

146 HYMN. L. M. 

The peaceful Death of the Righteous, 

1 SWEET is the scene when Christians die, 

When holy souls retire to rest: 
How mildly beams the closing eye! 
How gently heaves th' expiring breast ! 

2 So fades a summer cloud away; 

So sinks the gale when storms are o'er ; 
So gently shuts the eye of day ; 
So dies a wave along the shore. 

3 Triumphant smiles the victor's brow, 

Fann'd by some guardian angel's wing : 
O grave ! where is thy victory now 1 
And where, O death ! where is thy sting ? 

147 HYMN. S. M. 

1 O FOR the death of those 

Who slumber in the Lord ! 
O be like theirs my last repose, 
Like theirs my last reward. 

2 Their bodies, in the ground, 

In silent hope may lie, 
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound 
Shall call them to the sky. 

3 Their ransom'd spirits soar 

On wings of faith and Jove, 
To meet the Saviour they adore. 
And reign with him above. 

4 With us their names shall live 

Through long succeeding years, 
Embalm'd with all our hearts can give. 
Our praises and our tears. 

5 O for the death of those 

Who slumber in the Lord : 
O be like theirs my last repose, 
Like theirs my last reward. 
15* 



346 TIME AND ETERNITY. 

TXIMCE AND ETSHNXTIT. 

148 . HYMN. C. M. 

7\me short and misspent, 

1 HOW short and hasty is our life! 

How vast our soul's affairs! 
Yet senseless mortals vainly strive 
To lavish out their years. 

2 Our days run thoughtlessly along, 

Without a moment's stay; 
Just like a story, or a song, 
We pass our lives away. 

3 God from on high invites us home, 

But we march heedless on, 
And, ever, hastening to the tomb, 
Stoop downward as we run. 

4 How we deserve the deepest hell. 

That slight the joys above ! 
What chains of vengeance should we feel, 
That break such cords of love ! 

5 Draw us, O God, with sov'reign grace, 

And lift our thoughts on high, 
That we may end this mortal race, 
And see salvation nigh. 

149 HYMN. C. M. 

1 THE time is short ! — sinners, beware, 

Nor trifle time away: 
The word of great salvation hear. 
While yet 'tis called to-day. 

2 The time is short ! — O sinners, now, 

To Christ the Lord submit; 
To mercy's golden sceptre bow. 
And fall at Jesus' feet. 

3 The time is short ! — ye saints, rejoice — 

The Lord will quickly come : 
Soon shall you hear the Saviour's voice, 
To call you to your home. 

4 The time is short ! — it swiftly flies — 

The hour is just at hand. 
When we shall mount above the skies. 
And reach the wished-for land. 



TIME AND ETERNITY. 347 

6 The time is short ! — the moment near, 
When we shall dwell above; 
And be forever happy there, 
With Jesus, whom we love. 

150 HYMN. C. M. 

7\'me the Period to prepare for Eternity, 

1 THEE we adore, Eternal Name ! 

And humbly own to thee, 
How feeble is our mortal frame, 
What dying worms are we! 

2 The year rolls round, and steals away 

The breath that first it gave; 

Whate'er we do — where'er we be. 

We're travelling to the grave. 

3 Great God ! on what 'a slender thread 

Hang everlasting things! 
Th' eternal state of all the dead 
Upon life's feeble strings! 

4 Eternal joy — or endless wo 

Attends on every breath ! 
And yet how unconcern'd we go 
Upon the brink of death ! 

5 Awake, O Lord, our drowsy sense, 

To walk this dang'rous road ; 
And if our souls are hurried hence, 
May they be found with God. 

151 HYMN. L. M. 

1 LIFE is the time to serve the Lord, 
The time t' insure the great reward ; 
And while the lamp holds out to burn, 
The vilest sinner may return. 

2 Life is the hour that God has given 
T' escape from helJ, and fly to heaven ; 
The day of grace — and mortals may 
Secure the blessings of the day. 

3 Then, what my thoughts design to do. 
My hands, with all your might, pursue ; 
Since no device, nor work, is found. 
Nor faith, nor hope, beneath the ground. 



348 TIME AND ETERNITY. 

4 There are no acts of pardon pass'd 
In the cold grave to which we haste; 
But darkness, death, and Jong despair 
Reign in eternal silence there. 



152 HYMN. S. M. 

TO-MORROW, Lord, is thine, 
Lodg'd in thy sov'reign hand; 

And if its sun arise and shine, 
It shines by thy command. 

2 The present moment flies, 

And bears our hfe away; 
O make thy servants truly wise, 
That they may live to-day. 

3 Since on this fleeting hour 

Eternity is hung. 
Awake, by thine Almighty pow'r, 
The aged and the young. 

4 One thing demands our care; 

O! be that still pursu'd! 
Lest, slighted once, the season fair 
Should never be renew'd. 

5 To Jesus may we fly. 

Swift as the morning light, 
Lest life's young golden beams should die 
In sudden endless night. 



153 HYMN. C. M. 

1 SHINE on our souls, eternal God, 

With rays of mercy shine: 
O let thy favour crown our days, 
And all their round be thine. 

2 With thee let every week begin; 

With thee each day be spent; 
To thee each fleeting hour be given, 
Since each by thee is lent. 

3 Thus cheer us through this desert road, 

Till all our labours cease ; — 
Till heav'n refresh our weary souls 
With everlasting peace. 



THE JUDGMENT. 349 

154 HYMN. L. M. 

Eternity anticipated, 

1 ETERNITY is just at hand, 

And shall I waste my ebbing sand? 
And careless view departing day, 
And throw my inch of time away? 

2 Eternity ! — tremendous sound ! — 
To guilty souls a dreadful wound! 
But O ! if Christ and heav'n be mine, 
How sweet the accents ! — how divine ! 

3 Be this my chief, my only care — 
My high pursuit — my ardent pray'r — 
An interest in the Saviour's blood, 
My pardon seal'd, and peace with God. 

4 But should my brightest hopes be vain ; 
The rising doubts how sharp their pain ; 
My fears, O gracious God, remove, 
Confirm my title to thy love. 

5 Search, Lord — O search my inmost heart, 
And light, and hope, and joy, impart ; 
From guilt and error set me free. 

And guide me safe to heav'n and thee. 



THE JUDGMENT. 

155 HYMN. C. M. 

Triumph over Death in Hope of the Resurrection. 

1 GREAT God, I own thy sentence just, 

And nature must decay; 
I yield my body to the dust, 
To dwell with fellow clay. 

2 Yet faith may triumph o'er the grave, 

And trample on the tombs; 
My great Redeemer ever lives, 
My God, my Saviour, comes. 

3 The mighty Conqu'ror shall appear, 

High on a royal seat; 
And death, the last of all his foes. 
Lie vanquish'd at his feet. 



350 THE JUDGMENT. 

4 Then shall I see thy lovely face 
With strong, immortal eyes, 
And feast upon thine unknown grace, 
With pleasure and surprise. 

156 HYMN. S. M. 

Hope of the Resurrection. 

1 AND must this body die? 

This mortal frame decay? 
And must these active limbs of mine 
Lie mould'ring in the clay? 

2 God, my Redeemer, lives, 

And frequent from the skies, 
Looks down and watches all my dust, 
Till he shall bid it rise. 

3 Array'd in glorious grace 

Shall these vile bodies shine, 
And ev'ry shape, and ev'ry face 
Look heav'nly and divine. 

4 These lively hopes we owe 

To Jesus' dying love — 
We would adore his grace below, 
And sing his power above. 

6 Accept, O Lord, the praise 
Of these our humble songs. 
Till tunes of nobler sound we raise 
With our immortal tongues. 



157 HYMN. 8^s, 7's, and 4's. 

1 LO ! He comes, with clouds descending, 

Once for favour'd sinners slain! 
Thousand, thousand saints, attending, 
Swell the triumph of his train ; 

Hallelujah ! 
Jesus comes — and comes to reign. 

2 Every eye shall now behold him, 

Robed in dreadful majesty I 
Those who set at nought and sold him. 
Pierced and nail'd him to the tree, 

Deeply wailing, 
Shall the true Messiah see! 



THE JUDGMENT. 351 

3 When the solemn trump has sounded, 

Heav'n and earth shall flee away ; 

All who hate him must, confounded, 

Hear the summons of that day — 

"Come to judgment! — 
Come to judgment — come away." 

4 Yea, amen I — let all adore thee, 

High on thine eternal throne ! 
Saviour, take the pow'r and glory: 
Make thy righteous sentence known! 

O come quickly — 
Claim the kingdom for thine own! 

158 HYMN. Tb. 

1 HARK ! — that shout of rapt'rous joy, 

Bursting forth from yonder cloud! 
Jesus comes — and through the sky, 
Angels tell their joy aloud. 

2 Hark! the trumpet's awful voice 

Sounds abroad through sea and land ; 
Let his people now rejoice ! 
Their redemption is at hand. 

3 See! the Lord appears in view; 

Heav'n and earth before him fly! 
Rise, ye saints, he comes for you — 
Rise to meet him in the sky. 

4 Go, and dwell with him above. 

Where no foe can e'er, molest ; 
Happy in the Saviour's love! 
Ever blessing, ever blest. 

1 59 HYMN. 8's, 7's, and 4^s. 

1 DAY of judgment — day of wonders ! 

Hark ! — the trumpet's awful sound. 
Louder than a thousand thunders, 
Shakes the vast creation round ! 

How the summons 
Will the sinner's heart confound! 

2 See the Judge, our nature wearing, 

Clothed in majesty divine ! 
You who long for his appearing. 
Then shall say, " This God is mine !" 

Gracious Saviour, 
Own me in that day for thine ! 



HEAVEN. 352 



3 At his call the dead awaken, 

Rise to life from earth and sea: 
All the powers of nature, shaken 
By his looks, prepare to flee : 

Careless sinner, 
What will then become of thee "? 

4 But to those who have confessed, 

Loved and served the Lord below, 
He will say, " Come near, ye blessed, 
See the kingdom I bestow; 

You forever 
Shall my love and glory know." 

160 HYMN. CM. 

Banishment from God intolerable. 

1 THAT awful day will surely come, 

Th' appointed hour makes haste. 
When I must stand before my Judge, 
And pass the solemn test. 

2 Thou lovely Chief of all my joys — 

Thou Sov'reign of my heart — 
How could I bear to hear thy voice 
■ Pronounce the word — " Depart I" 

3 O ! wretched state of deep despair, 

To see my God remove, 
And fix my doleful station where 
I must not taste his love. 

4 Oh ! tell me that my worthless name 

Is graven on thy hands; 
Show me some promise in thy book, 
Where my salvation stands. 



HEAVEN. 

161 HYMN. S. M. 

Rest in Heaven, 

1 OH! where shall rest be found? 
Rest for the weary soul ! 
'Twere vain the ocean's depths to sound, 
Or search from pole to pole. 



HEAVEN. 353 

2 The world can never give 

The bliss for which we sigh; 
'Tis not the "whole of life to live, 
Nor all of death to die. 

3 Beyond this vale of tears 

There is a life above, 
Unmeasur'd by the flight of years — 
And all that life is love. 

162 HYMN. C. M. 

The Peace and Repose of Heaven* 

1 THERE is an hour of hallo w'd peace 

For those with cares opprest. 
Where sighs and sorrowing tears shall cease, 

And all be hush'd to rest: 
'Tis then the soul is freed from fears 

And doubts, which here annoy ; 
Then they that oft had sown in tears, 

Shall reap again in joy. 

2 There is a home of sweet repose, 

Where storms assail no more; 
The stream of endless pleasure flows 

On that celestial shore: 
There purity with love appears. 

And bliss without alloy; 
There they that ofl: had sown in tears. 

Shall reap again in joy. 

163 HYMN. L. M. 

The Worship of Heaven. 

1 O FOR a sweet inspiring ray. 
To animate our feeble strains, 
From the bright realms of endless day, 
The blissful realms, where Jesus reigns ! 

2 There, low before his glorious throne, 
Adoring saints and angels fall; 
And with delightful worship own. 

His smile their bliss, their heav'n, their all. 

3 Immortal glories crown his head. 
While tuneful hallelujahs rise, 

And love, and joy, and triumph spread 
Through all th' assemblies of the skies. 



354 HEAVEN. 

4 He smiles, and seraphs tune their songs 
To boundless rapture, while they gaze : 
Ten thousand, thousand joyful tongues 
Resound his everlasting praise. 

5 There all the foll'wers of the Lamb 
Shall join at last the heav'nly choir: 
O may the joy-inspiring theme 
Awake our faith and warm desire ! 

6 Dear Saviour, let thy spirit seal 
Our int'rest in that blissful place; 
Till death remove this mortal veil, 
And we behold thy lovely face. 



164 HYMN. 8's and 6's. 

The Everlasting Bliss of Heaven. 

1 HEAV'N is the land where troubles cease, 

Where toils and tears are o'er; 
The blissful clime of rest and peace, 

Where cares distract no more, 
And not the shadow of distress 
Dims its unsullied blessedness, 

2 Heav'n is the place where Jesus lives, 

To plead his dying blood ; 
While to his pray'rs, his Father gives 

An unknown multitude, 
Whose harps and tongues, through endless days, 
Shall crown his head with songs of praise. 

3 Heav'n is the dwelling-place of joy. 

The home of light and love, 
Where faith and hope in rapture die. 

And ransom'd souls above 
Enjoy, before th' eternal throne. 
Bliss everlasting and unknown. 

165 HYMN. C. M. 

1 WHEN I can read my title clear 
To mansions in the skies, 
I bid farewell to every fear, 
And wipe my weeping eyes. 



HEAVEN. 355 



2 Should earth against my soul engage, 

And hellish darts be hurl'd, 
Then I can smile at Satan's rage, 
And face a frowning world. 

3 Let cares like a wild deluge come, 

And storms of sorrow fall ; 
May I but safely reach my home, 
My God, my heav'n, my all: — 

4 There shall I bathe my weary soul 

In seas of heav'nly rest, 
And not a wave of trouble roll 
Across my peaceful breast. 



166 HYMN. C. M. 

1 THERE is a land of pure delight, 

Where saints immortal reign; 
Infinite day excludes the night, 
And pleasures banish pain. 

2 There everlasting spring abides, 

And never- with'ring flow'rs: 

Death, like a narrow sea, divides 

This heav'nly land from ours. 

3 Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, 

Stand dress'd in living green; 

So to the Jews old Canaan stood. 

While Jordan roll'd between. 

4 But tim'rous mortals start and shrink. 

To cross this narrow sea; 
And linger, shiv'ring on the brink. 
And fear to launch away. 

5 O ! could we make our doubts remove, 

Those gloomy doubts that rise, 
And see the Canaan that we love 
With unbeclouded eyes ! — 

6 Could we but climb where Moses stood. 

And view the landscape o'er. 
Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, 
Should fright us from the shore. 



356 HEAVEN. 

167 HYMN. 8's, and 6^s. 
The Peace and Rest of Heaven, 

1 THERE is an hour of peaceful rest, 

To mourning wand'rers giv'n ; 
There is a joy for souls distress'd, 
A balm for ev'ry wounded breast — 

'Tis found above in heav'n. 

2 There is a home for weary souls, 

By sin and sorrow driv'n, 
When toss'd on life's tempestuous shoals, 
Where storms arise, and ocean rolls, 

And all is drear but heav'n. 

3 There faith lifts up her cheerful eye, 

To brighter prospects giv'n ; 
And views the tempest passing by. 
The ev'ning shadows quickly fly, 

And all serene in heav'n ! 

4 There, fragrant flowers immortal, bloom. 

And joys supreme are given: 
There, rays divine disperse the gloom: — 
Beyond the confines of the tomb. 

Appears the dawn of heav'n. 

168 HYMN. C. M. 

1 JERUSALEM ! my happy home ! 

Name ever dear to me! 
When shall my labours have an end, 
In joy, and peace, and thee 1 

2 When shall these eyes thy heav'n-built walls 

And pearly gates behold? 
Thy bulwarks, with salvation strong. 
And streets of shining gold 1 

3 O, when, thou city of my God, 

Shall I thy courts ascend, 
Where congregations ne'er break up. 
And Sabbaths have no end? 

4 There happier bow'rs than Eden's bloom, 

Nor sin nor sorrow know: 
Blest seats ! through rude and stormy scenes, 
I onward press to you. 



HEAVEN. 

5 Why should I shrink at pain and wol 

Or feel at death, dismay ] 
I've Canaan's goodly land in view, 
And realms of endless day. 

6 Apostles, martyrs, prophets there, 

Around my Saviour stand; 
And soon my friends in Christ below. 
Will join the glorious band. 

7 Jerusalem! my happy home! 

My soul still pants for thee! 
Then shall my labours have an end, 
When I thy joys shall see. 

169 HYMN. L. M. 

1 " WE'VE no abiding city here"— 

This may distress the worldly mind; 
But should not cost the saint a tear, 
Who hopes a better rest to find. 

2 "We've no abiding city here" — 

Sad truth, were this to be our home : 
But let this thought our spirits cheer, 
" We seek a city yet to come." 

3 "We've no abiding city here" — 

Then let us live as pilgrims do; 
Let not the world our rest appear, 
But let us haste from all below. 

4 "We've no abiding city here" — 

We seek a city out of sight ; 
Zion its name — the Lord is there. 
It shines with everlasting light. 

170 HYMN. 8V 

Earnest Desire of Heaven. 

1 I LONG to behold him array'd 

With glory and light from above, — 
The King in his beauty display'd. 

His beauty of holiest love: 
I languish and sigh to be there, 

Where Jesus has fix'd his abode: 
Oh when shall we meet in the air, 

And fly to the mountain of God? 



358 HEAVEN. 

2 With him I on Zion shall stand, 

(For Jesus hath spoken the word,) 
The breadth of ImmanuePs land 

Survey by the light of my Lord; 
But when on thy bosom reclined, 

Thy face I am strengthen'd to see, 
My fulness of rapture I find, 
* My heaven of heavens, in thee. 

3 How happy the people that dwell 

Secure in the city above! 
No pain the inhabitants feel, 

No sickness or sorrow shall prove 
Physician of souls, unto me 

Forgiveness and holiness give; 
And then from the body set free, 

And then to the city receive. 



171 HYMN. 7^8. 

The Redeemed in Heaven, 

1 WHAT are these in bright array, 

This innumerable throng 
Round the altar night and day, 

Hymning one triumphant song: 
"Worthy is the Lamb once slain. 

Blessing, honour, glory, power, 
Wisdom, riches, to obtain. 

New dominion, every hour, 

2 These through fiery trials trod. 

These from great affliction came ; 
Now before the throne of God, 

Seal'd with his Almighty name; 
Clad in raiment pure and white, 

Victor-palms in every hand, 
Through their dear Redeemer's might, 

More than conquerors they stand. 

3 Hunger, thirst, disease unknown 

On immortal fruits they feed; 
Them, the Lamb amidst the throne, 

Shall to living fountains lead: 
Joy and gladness banish sighs. 

Perfect love dispels all fears, 
And for ever from their eyes, 

God shall wipe away the tears. 



HEAVEN. 359 



172 HYMN. L. M. 

Vanity of the World, and Happiness of Heaven, 

1 HOW vain is all beneath the skies ! 

How transient every earthly bliss ! 
How slender all the fondest ties, 
That bind us to a world like this ! 

2 The ev'ning cloud, the morning dew, 

The with'ring grass, the fading flower, 
Of earthly hopes are emblems true — 
The glory of a passing hour ! 

3 But, though earth's fairest blossoms die, 

And all beneath the skies is vain, 
There is a land whose confines lie 
Beyond the reach of care and pain. 

4 Then let the hope of joys to come 

Dispel our cares, and chase our fears, 
If God be ours, we're trav'ling home, 
Though passing through a vale of tears. 

173 HYMN. C. M. 

1 O HAPPY soul, that lives on high. 

While men lie grov'ling here! 
His hopes are fixed above the sky. 
And faith forbids his fear. 

2 His conscience knows no secret stings, 

While grace and joy combine 
To form a life whose holy springs 
Are hidden and divine. 

3 He waits in secret on his God, 

His God in secret sees; 
Let earth be all in arms abroad. 

He dwells in heavenly peace. 

4 His pleasures rise from things unseen. 

Beyond this world of time. 
Where neither eyes nor ears have been 
Nor thoughts of mortals climb. 

5 He wants no pomp nor royal throne, 

To raise his figure here; 
Content and pleased to live alone, 
Till Christ his life appear. 



860 HEAVEN. 

174 HYMN. 10 and 11. 

View of Heaven, 

1 ON wings of faith, mount up, my soul, and rise, 
View thine inheritance beyond the skies ; 

Nor heart can think, nor mortal tongue can tell, 
What endless pleasures in those mansions dwell ; 
There my Redeemer lives, all bright and glorious. 
O'er sin, and death, and hell, he reigns victorious. 

2 No gnawing grief, no sad heart-rending pain 
In that bless'd country can admission gain; 
No sorrow there, no soul-torrnenting fear, 

For God's own hand shall wipe the falling tear: 
There my Redeemer lives, &c. 

3 Before the throne a crystal river glides, 
Immortal verdure decks its cheerful sides ; 
There the fair tree of life majestic rears 

Its blooming head, and sovereign virtue bears: 
There my Redeemer lives, &c. 

4 No rising sun his transient beam displays. 
No sickly moon emits her feeble rays ; 
The Godhead there celestial glory sheds, 
Th' exalted Lamb eternal radiance spreads : 

There my Redeemer lives, &c. 

5 One distant glimpse my eager passion fires 
Jesus, to thee my longing soul aspires ! 
When shall I at my heav'nly home arrive — 
When leave this earth, and when begin to livel 

For there my Saviour is all bright and glorious. 
O'er sin, and death, and hell, he reigns victorious. 



THE END. 



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